The New York Mets are sitting pretty at the All-Star break. After going on a tear over the last couple of weeks, the blue and orange find themselves sitting in the final wild-card spot at 49-46. However, just because no games are being played doesn’t mean president of baseball operations David Stearns hasn’t stayed busy.
On Tuesday, Stearns traded Rylan Bannon to the Minnesota Twins before acquiring relief pitcher Alex Young and designating former top draft pick Tyler Jay for assignment on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old stayed busy on Thursday by inking a veteran catcher to a major league deal.
Mets sign veteran catcher Logan Porter to a major league contract
According to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 on X, the Mets have signed catcher Logan Porter to a major league contract after the Arizona native triggered a contract opt-out on Tuesday.
Porter has spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign in Triple-A, starting the season playing for the Kansas City Royals affiliate in Omaha before spending the past few weeks with the San Francisco Giants affiliate in Sacramento after being traded there last month in a cash deal.
Across the two affiliates, the 29-year-old appeared in 53 games, slashing .293/.390/.500 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs.
Porter did have a cup of coffee in the major leagues last season with the Royals, appearing in 11 games while slashing .194/.324/.323 with one home run and three RBIs.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
The signing of Porter just provides the Mets with catching depth they previously did not have, as the only two catchers on the 40-man roster were Francisco Álvarez and Luis Torrens. If either were to go down with an injury, the Arizona native would likely get a chance in the big leagues.
With the 29-year-old needing to join the 40-man roster, the blue and orange will have to designate someone else for assignment.
Ben Gamel seems like the most probable candidate, given the Mets’ plethora of outfield options and Starling Marte’s preparation to return from injury.
