Mets quietly sign a unique catcher/outfielder, add to the weakest part of their depth chart

The frenzy of Friday was all related to the non-tender deadline. An onslaught of players were non-tendered by their ball clubs, adding to a free agent wave of mostly out of option relievers. The New York Mets had a much quieter day than some. Three 40-man roster spots were opened up with Alex Ramirez, Alex Young, and Grant Hartwig all being non-tendered by the ball club.

Earlier in the day, they added as well. If you had to name a point of the depth chart with the thinnest layer of talent, which would you pick? You wouldn’t be wrong to suggest the catcher spot has the least amount of backup plans. They’ll figure out the pitching in free agency. Catching, on the other hand, won’t be a strong suit if Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens go down with an injury.

A minor league deal with 28-year-old Jakson Reetz was agreed upon. He is invited to spring training to show the Mets the goods he can potentially offer if they happen to need a little catching help this coming season.

The Mets added to their depleted catching depth chart with Jakson Reetz

Only 17 MLB plate appearances under his belt and a batting average below the Mendoza Line, Reetz is a veteran catcher who’ll spend some time on the taxi squad. He does have a minor league option remaining which is favorable to stick around with the Mets. However, adding him to the 40-man roster is unnecessary because he isn’t going to play in the majors unless someone gets hurt.

The minor league Mets catching core doesn’t offer them much. You’re probably already familiar with Kevin Parada and his struggles. They also have Hayden Senger and Matt O’Neill who have yet to reach the big leagues and are only a year younger than Reetz.

Reetz hasn’t torn apart minor league pitching but does have a 30 home run season from back in 2022 (22 of the 30 coming in Double-A for the Milwaukee Brewers). David Stearns apparently liked him enough back then. Could it be his ability to do more than catch? Reetz has played over 300 innings in left field.

The idea of a catcher/outfielder remains a mostly foreign, if not frightening, concept. Flashbacks to Todd Hundley trying to catch fly balls are too common for Mets fans of a certain age. Reetz isn’t the first player with this attribute. Last year, the Mets claimed Cooper Hummel off waivers and while he didn’t even last the full offseason, it showed Stearns has an interest in these types of players. Hummel, too, spent some time with the Brewers under Stearns. He made more of a full transition away from catcher last year. As a member of the Houston Astros organization, he didn’t put on the pads once in a game.