After making an impactful minor league move by signing Jerry Blevins and Jerad Eickhoff, the New York Mets made a subtler move. Former Mets shortstop Wilfredo Tovar and left-handed pitcher Tom Windle signed to minor league deals with an invite to spring training.
Wilfredo Tovar really just scored from 2nd on a sac fly. pic.twitter.com/AcPM7NbROF
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 26, 2019
In 2008, Tovar first signed with the Mets as a young 16-year old out of Venezuela. He never stood out offensively during his minor league career and only played in nine big-league games with the Mets. Tovar went 3-for-18 (.167) from 2013-14 with the Mets and was granted free agency after the 2015 season.
He spent 2016-19 in the minor league systems for the Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Angels. During 2019, the Angels brought Tovar to the big leagues but only hit .193 during that period. Tovar is likely a defensive replacement for the Mets should any of their good defense infielders get injured.
Another Former Phillie
Windle started his career in 2013 after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. They shipped Windle to the Phillies, along with Zach Eflin, in exchange for Jimmy Rollins. From 2015-19, he pitched in relief throughout the Phillies farm system but never made it past AAA. After his release in 2019, he signed with the Boston Red Sox and became a minor league free agent this offseason.
Windle has a similar pitching motion to Kenny Rogers and throws from a three-quarter arm slot. He throws a fastball that sits in the low 90s with cut at times. Windle also features a mid-80s slider but is only useful against lefties. His inconsistent control and lack of dominant pitches have left him stuck in the minors. It will take a dramatic change in pitching style for Windle to crack the big league roster in 2021.