The New York Mets keep working hard to shape up the roster with the 2020 season in mind. The team signed infielder Eduardo Nunez to a minor league contract on Saturday, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. The deal includes an invitation for Spring Training, where Nunez will have the opportunity to earn a place on the active roster.
Perez, who is 32 years old, had a very poor 2019 season with the Boston Red Sox. In fact, he was so bad that the team opted to release him in July.
In 2019, the versatile infielder had a .228/.243/.305 line with two home runs and 20 RBI in 174 plate appearances. He was worth a negative WAR: -1.0, per Fangraphs.
Versatility at the Mets’ service
Perez can cover several positions in the diamond. Over his career, he has played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field. If he can show that he has something left in his bat, he could make an interesting flier for the Mets. The utility role could be his if he impresses.
Perez has some power and speed, and since he will come in a Minor League deal, the acquisition cost is not high.
The 2017 season was the last time Perez was good. That year, he batted .313 with an OBP of .341Â and a .460 slugging percentage. He was an above-average offensive performance, registering a 112 wRC+ and a 2.2 fWAR. He slugged 12 home runs and stole 24 bases back then.
A year before, in 2016, he was even better. Perez put up a 2.9 fWAR season, the best of his career. He knocked 16 balls out of the park and had 40 thefts.
For his career, Nunez has a .276/.310/.404 line with a 90 wRC+ and 4.1 fWAR in 856 games.
The chances are that Nunez is already past his prime, but it doesn’t hurt the New York Mets to find out under the conditions of the deal.