Mets sign free agent who was cut by 2 NL East rivals this year

He's a long way from his NLCS MVP days.

Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves / Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/GettyImages

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Well, this very minor New York Mets free agent deal is perfectly fine because no one is getting hurt at all.

The Mets have signed veteran Eddie Rosario who only a few years ago was the NLCS MVP for the Atlanta Braves. He recently reunited with them only for the 32-year-old left-handed hitter to post a .154/.181/.282 slash line.

Rosario is making the rounds through the NL East. He began the year with the Washington Nationals and would finish up there hitting .183/.226/.329. It’s an unfortunate turn for a guy who hit 21 home runs last season with a respectable .255/.305/.450 slash line.

This Mets free agent tells us one thing about the team

An addition to the depth chart in the minors at this stage of the year hints at one thing; the Mets aren’t eager to push anyone too quickly up the pipeline. They aren't going to try to fit a non-outfielder on the MLB roster if the time came for a replacement from the farm.

Rosario is only a candidate to see MLB at-bats for the Mets if two things happen. First, he needs to play well. Second, someone must get hurt.

When rosters expand in September, the Mets will have a variety of choices to make. Rosario shouldn’t be in that mix, though. A declining defender in addition to his bad offense, the Mets will serve themselves far better with either a more versatile player or someone with one outstanding tool.

The Mets have remained active adding depth to the minor leagues. Jackie Bradley Jr. got his chance to return from the Independent League and prove he had something left in the tank after destroying pitchers as a member of the Long Island Ducks. His tenure with Syracuse has started off poorly. At the time of the Rosario signing, Bradley is 6 for 34 which gives him a .176 batting average—one point higher than Rosario hit at the major league level with the Nationals and Braves.

Consider this free agent addition strategic to avoid having to add someone unnecessarily to the MLB roster. He’s the Secretary of Education in the presidential line of succession.

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