The New York Mets have been pretty active over the past 48 hours.
In addition to signing Luis Severino to a one-year, $13 million deal, the team announced that it had agreed to terms with veteran infielder Joey Wendle on a one-year deal.
Wendle, who is more known for his glove than his bat, figures to be a major-league option off the bench for a Mets club that non-tendered Luis Guillorme just last week.
We’ve signed infielder Joey Wendle to a one-year contract.
Welcome to Queens, Joey! pic.twitter.com/zDt5oMNx4p
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 30, 2023
The Mets entered the offseason with a 40-man roster consisting of just 28 players, and there’s a good chance that among them — Zack Short, Alex Ramirez, Reed Garrett, and Phil Bickford — might not even be part of the team’s vision for the future. That’s why the addition of Wendle should be taken with a grain of salt, considering that New York will be making plenty of additions this offseason. At the same time, Wendle presents himself as a viable bench bat and defensive replacement for New York in 2024, but he certainly won’t be the biggest name they add to their offense this offseason; not even close.
As for Wendle, he’s coming off a rather rough 2022 campaign with the Miami Marlins. The 33-year-old had a slash line of .212/.248/.306 with a .554 OPS in 112 games this past season. He had two home runs, knocked in 20 runs, and stole seven bases. And while Wendle was an All-Star in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays, the versatile left-handed hitter is more known for his work with his glove. He can play just about anywhere in the infield in a pinch.
