The acquired journeyman first baseman Tyler White from the Twins this week, per the team’s transaction log. He made his debut with the Mets’ Triple-A club in Syracuse today, going 0-for-4. A return wasn’t specified, though minor veteran swaps of this nature typically send cash back the other direction.
White, 32, has spent parts of four seasons in the Majors, most of it coming with the Astros from 2016-19. His best output came in 2018, when he logged 237 plate appearances and posted a huge .276/.354/.533 slash with a career-high 12 home runs, a 10.1% walk rate and a 20.7% strikeout rate. White struggled badly in a career-high 279 plate appearances the following season, however, and didn’t fare any better during a brief 2020 stint with the Korea Baseball Organization’s SK Wyverns (now the SSG Landers), going 3-for-22 in a sample of just nine games.
Since returning to North American ball in 2021, White has bounced between the Triple-A clubs for the Blue Jays, Brewers, Braves and Twins before landing with the Mets this week. He had a strong year with the Jays’ Buffalo affiliate in ’21 but a lackluster showing between Gwinnett and Nashville last year. In 16 games with the Twins’ top affiliate in St. Paul, he hit .259/.386/.414 with 11 walks against 13 strikeouts through 70 plate appearances.
White has experience at both infield corners but is primarily a first baseman at this point. He’s a career .290/.395/.498 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A seasons but a .236/.316/.409 in parts of four big league seasons. He’ll give the Mets a righty-hitting bat with a productive Triple-A track record to stash in the upper minors, but with Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Eduardo Escobar and Daniel Vogelbach all in the corner infield/designated hitter mix at the MLB level, there’s no clear path to the bigs for White at the moment.
Lolmets
Strange response
That’s all lolstevie knows. Always first too like he gets Mets alerts.
Diminutive Stefan can be a subcutaneous little cuss but his timing IS exquisite.
I like him.
Vogelbach could be gone shortly which still leaves the Mets with little production in reserve. Outside of a miracle, White does not add much depth. At least Vogelbach does…
Vogelbach doesn’t own a glove and is only good for clogging bases with walks. Seems to be a good clubhouse guy, for whatever that’s worth. Call up Mauricio ASAP.
Walks are not a bad thing and “clogging bases” is not a thing.
Lucky for him, the guys behind him aren’t hitting.
Clogging bases is most certainly a thing and sorry to break it to you that a walk isn’t always as good as a hit.
May be true but can you think of a time when Vogelbach prevented a runner behind him from advancing a base? I can’t and I watch every game. Granted, there aren’t often runners behind him because the Mets offense is rather lethargic.
At least a couple dozen times and I watch 95% of games.
He’s good in the clubhouse, especially to the caterers. They don’t have as much to pack away at night’s end.
Didn’t he pitch too?
Yes, but very poorly (10 ER, 0 K’s, 1.1 IP in the minors).
The season is saved
Strange deal for the Mets. Even if Vogelbach gets released, they still have ample coverage at 1B/DH in the majors. I’m guessing they probably asked Luke Voit if he’d be willing to take a minor league deal and he said no before acquiring White.
This has nothing to do with the Mets, Its simply about filling a minor league roster. They didn’t have a first baseman in AAA, and both of the guys at AA are injured.
That said, I would’ve rather they just stick an OF at 1st base and get more ABs for the guys that are already on the roster.
Wow! Someone struggled in 2019 with the juiced ball! That is struggling.
I think people are looking too far into this. The minor league rosters need to be kept filled as well. The Mets have promoted 3 prospects (with a 4th one likely in the near future) and two of them were corner infielders. This just adds a warm body to AAA, nothing more.
I agree with you. And their two AA first basemen are on the DL now, as well. That said, I’d just as soon see them move an OF to 1B and give him the ABs, than waste them on such complete dead weight.
If that’s the case they may as well send Vogelback down to put a shadow over the first base line since he’s doing nothing but emptying buckets of sunflower seeds and clearing out the pre game food table.
Vogelback is out of options and would have to be DFA’d. I’d certainly have no problem with the Mets doing that. We’re all ready to see Vogelbach go. But there isn’t really a replacement for him, now, is there?
Mauricio or bring back Guillerme. Vogelbach is useless and should have never been acquired.
R u saying put Ronnie on first? Hmm. Interesting.
Vogelbach is not even their backup first baseman. Do you really think the bench has to be replaced with exact position players?
Depth and nothing more
Its not even depth – is just minor league roster filler.
I remember in 2016 after (I believe) Jim Bowden said how impressive of a hitter he was, so I immediately snatched him up in all my fantasy teams. And even though I should just take the L on that one, I am still holding out for White to blossom into an all-star starting first baseman.
Dude, that was 7 years ago. Let it go, already!
@kellin
I applaud your ability to do simple math, but if you understood nuance, you’d pick up that not letting it go was exactly what I was ribbing myself for.
Learn from the Dodgers, play more kids, Mauricio has split time between 2B and SS this year, let him take over second. Baty-Lindor-Mauricio-Alonso-Alvarez around the diamond. Trade McNeil at the deadline while he still has a little value. Come 2024 at his age, he would not be a good candidate to give a FA contract to. For gosh sakes get some production out of LF and DH.
McNeil is signed through 2027
Wow, why did they do that? By 2027 up the middle Lindor, McNeil and Nimmo will be 33, 35 and 34. That’s not a good plan.
Do you think 33 is over the hill?
Fact check:
McNeil was already signed an extension through 2026 with a club option for 2027. It was a very reasonable price, too.
And Mauricio is struggling defensively at 2B right now. He needs more time.
That said, I thought they should’ve started transitioning Mauricio over to 2B the instant they gave Lindor the ten year deal.
Had they done that, they might have been able to call up Mauricio to play 2nd a month ago, move McNeil to the OF, and put Marte on the DL where he belonged..
@geofft I think it would be more practical at this rate to have Mauricio play the outfield. McNeil is a great defensive 2nd basemen. Don’t see any need to move him off there. Nimmo, Mauricio, and Marte in the outfield should be fine
I agree with you, I like McNeil a lot more at 2B than the OF. And I’m not talking about a a permanent arrangement here.
Just to clarify the past, present, and future of this idea:
I hatched the idea before McNeil signed the extension, and before Mauricio suddenly started producing big time with his bat again, and before Baty surpassed Mauricio in AA. I thought the timing would work out that Mauricio would be a UT infielder late this year and next, and take over 2B once McNeil left.
In the present, I just want Marte to get healthy and start producing again. Mauricio could come up temporarily while Marte is on the DL, and go back down once Marte is back to playing at full strength. Once that is resolved, I could see the Mets giving Mauricio time in the OF at Syracuse and figuring out where to play him when he is actually ready for the majors.
He’s a heavy 238 lbs!
I did not read anywhere in the article that the Twins will get anything in return.
I did not read anywhere in this article that the Twins will get anything in return.