President of baseball operations David Stearns has made a habit of signing players to minor league deals since taking over the role in the New York Mets organization.
Some have worked out better than anybody could have imagined. The blue and orange would not be in a playoff race without Jose Iglesias’s play and positivity. However, others have flopped, including a former NLCS MVP who has now been released.
The Mets have released Eddie Rosario
According to Mike Mayer of Metsmerized, the Mets have released outfielder Eddie Rosario. Rosario was designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves earlier this month but opted for free agency instead, and the Mets inked him to a minor league deal.
The 32-year-old struggled for Triple-A Syracuse, going three-for-29, albeit with a home run and two RBIs across seven games.
The Puerto Rican native began the 2024 campaign with the Washington Nationals after inking a one-year deal worth $2 million this past offseason. The 32-year-old struggled with the Nationals before being traded to the Braves. In 91 games, Rosario has slashed .175/.215/.316 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Rosario is best known for his 2021 playoff run with the Atlanta Braves. In 16 games, the Puerto Rican native slashed .383/.456/.617 with three home runs and 11 RBI while winning NLCS MVP and helping the organization win their first World Series since 1995.
What does this mean for the Mets?
Rosario was a low-risk, high-reward move that didn’t quite pan out. Although releasing the 32-year-old after just seven games may come as a surprise, the organization likely felt that they had seen enough and his playing time/roster space could be better allocated elsewhere.
With the Puerto Rican native now gone, the Mets will likely try to find some more outfield depth over the coming days to sure up Triple-A and provide injury insurance should a couple of the big league outfielders go down with an injury.
