Former NY Mets player batting .319 DFA’d by MLB’s worst team

Let’s go back a year. The New York Mets were coming off of their spectacular and fun 2024 campaign. Heading into the 2025 season, while trying to fill out the roster, a minor league free agent by the name of Donovan Walton was in contention to make the club out of camp.

He never did make it or even get any major league playing time at all with the Mets. Eventually traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, Walton appeared in 2 games for them and hit .125.

One of those Mets that could become easily forgotten, he latched onto one of MLB’s consistently worst teams and the bottom of the pack this year. The Los Angeles Angels, despite a .319 batting average, DFA’d Walton to make room for Mike Trout’s IL return. You can't argue the "who for" but what about the "who instead?"

Donovan Walton is making David Stearns look like a genius a year too late

Walton’s .319/.354/.505 slash line is kind of outrageous. Multiple seasons and stints with several teams in the majors batting under .200, not even Mrs. Walton’s self-made bingo card had him doing anything like this.

Partly a case of moving on before things go bad, the Angels don’t exactly need to be too choosy. Much like the Mets should focus on trade value and the future, the Angels have decided Walton isn’t worth bumping anyone else off of the active roster in case Walton is one of the more spectacular late-bloomers in recent MLB history.

Walton isn’t the only random Mets player to pass through Orange County this year. Nick Madrigal, who was a guy destined to have the same utility role Walton came close to winning last year, was DFA’d with a .273/.385/.295 slash line. A spring training season-ending injury eliminated him from contending for a spot. He has since signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

That’d be a good guess as to where Walton ends up, too. Fellow random Mets from this season, Craig Kimbrel and Austin Slater, went from New York to Tampa on a one-way ticket. If anyone could cash in on Walton’s unexpected success, it’s them or maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of those clubs will find some way to fit him in and watch him thrive.

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