The Astros have claimed outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the Mets, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X. Gamel had recently been designated for assignment by the Mets. To open a 40-man roster spot for Gamel, the Astros have recalled right-hander J.P. France and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list. They will need to open an active roster spot for Gamel once he reports to the team.
Gamel, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. He had a strong run for Triple-A Syracuse, getting into 45 games and slashing .314/.423/.538 for a wRC+ of 150. At least some of that production was related to a .400 batting average on balls in play that he wasn’t going to maintain, but he did hit seven home runs and was drawing walks at a strong clip of 16.3%.
The Mets called him up near the end of June with fellow outfielder Starling Marte going on the injured list. Gamel didn’t get much playing time but carried himself well whenever the Mets put him in there. In almost two months on the roster, he got into just 18 games and received just 30 plate appearances. But he walked in seven of those, a huge 23.3% rate, and slashed .217/.400/.261 for a wRC+ of 110. When Marte returned from the IL on the weekend, Gamel was nudged off the roster and onto the waiver wire.
Gamel now has nine major league seasons on his track record, a lengthy run of serviceable major league performance. Since his 2016 debut, he has played for the Yankees, Mariners, Brewers, Guardians, Pirates, Padres and now the Mets. In 703 big league games, he has a line of .252/.333/.382 and a 96 wRC+ while playing all three outfield positions and a bit of first base.
The Houston lineup has taken a few hits in the recent weeks and months. Kyle Tucker hasn’t played since the first week of June due to a shin contusion. Alex Bregman hasn’t played in almost a week due to an elbow injury. José Abreu was released earlier this year after a dismal performance. They also traded away some depth in the Yusei Kikuchi trade by sending Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner to the Blue Jays.
That has led to playing time going to guys with fairly uninspiring results. Jake Meyers has strong defensive grades in center but is hitting .228/.293/.387 for a wRC+ of 93. Mauricio Dubón has been bouncing around the diamond but is slashing .252/.284/.362 for a wRC+ of 82. Jon Singleton has taken over Abreu’s job at first base and has been passable but his .234/.316/.362 line leads to a subpar 96 wRC+. In the group of Trey Cabbage, Chas McCormick, Zach Dezenzo, Aledmys Díaz and Pedro León, no one has a wRC+ higher than 65. León was recently optioned and Díaz released. Shay Whitcomb has done well covering third for Bregman but in a small sample of just three games.
Dubón and McCormick have been getting regular playing time in the corners lately but Gamel could perhaps factor in there, as well as in the first base mix with Singleton and Dezenzo. Both Cabbage and Dezenzo have options and were just recalled in the past week, so perhaps one of those two will be optioned whenever Gamel can link up with the club.
As for France, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in June, so it’s unsurprising to see him now landing on the 60-day IL. He had been optioned at the end of April and was on the minor league IL. By getting recalled now, he’ll get major league service time and pay for the remainder of the season. He had already crossed the one-year service mark earlier in the season, but will add a few weeks to his tally here at the end of 2024.
Any little bit off the luxury tax helps but it’s unlikely that the Mets can get out of their current tier penalties. Anyway, good for Gamel that he found another opening with a contender.
No, it does not help with the tax at all – minor league deals do not count towards the tax, and thats what Gamel would have been had he stayed with the Mets. And they are close to $100 million over the tax threshold. So its not unlikely they get out of the current tier – it is impossible.
The Gamels are an interesting baseball family.
Mat Gamel had considerable prospect hype and was the centerpiece of the Indians/Brewers CC Sabathia trade. However, he was a major bust and only played in around 100 games at the big league level.
Ben Gamel never had much prospect hype and was basically just minor league filler. And yet he has managed to have a respectable, albeit journeyman, big league career over the last decade.
Just goes to show you that you never can tell.
Dude are you that thin-skinned? Hiflew didn’t even say anything wrong. You don’t need to comment on every post saying you muted someone.
His mother didn’t give him enough attention, so he has to act out here. As if I would even care that someone I didn’t know muted me. I’m still going to toss out my INTERESTING comments regardless.
If the Reds play the Asterisks, we can have a French civil war.
(E.g., J.P. France pitching to Ty France)
Thumbs down
Steven,
Come on, it has only been four centuries since the French settled St. Croix!
Peace.
At least Ben gets a chance with a playoff bound team.
I’d guess that Trey Cabbage rides on down to SugarLand.
Ben’s had a lot of “at leasts”. Good for him. Hope he brings good defense, speed, and AT LEAST average offense against righties
You’re asking a lot of a guy who’s spent that last two years in the minors or on the DFA circuit.
I’m more inclined to think Chas McCormick.
Best and most scapegoated organization in MLB and how dare Manfred call it a piece of metal and he owes them a huge apology and a higher draft pick to help make up for it this offseason.
Sorry, not sorry, but it doesn’t work that way and is not happening.
That’s enough, blue baron. Be quiet and know your small little place.
Remember when I asked for your opinion, California 8? Me neither.
But all kidding aside, you have your entire life to be a jerk. Why not take today off?
you have the blase delivery of a young Seinfeld, combined with the left field range of a 27 year old Andy Kaufman and the double-playing consistency of an in their prime Abbott & Costello. Who says no?
They had a rookie LH OF with huge upside playing superior defense AND a rising talented utility player. Now they’re relying on cast offs and free swinging minor leaguers and no idea when Tucker is returning
And now they have a rock-solid rotation with the guy they got for them. It’s give and take.
thickie, they seem to be winning almost all the time since then – I have zero complaints about the Astros. As usual.
You are absolutely correct. The trade itself was obviously good for our pitching but they should have traded Meyers instead of Joey.
Meyers is a plus-plus defender at a premium position. I don’t know how dumping him over a guy with a 40% K rate is a good deal.
Watch him get a clutch hit against the NYY in a playoff game so he can continue on the trend of former Yankees punishing the franchise after they leave the Bronx.
We all look forward to that.
I don’t. I’m really not trying to Terry Silver axe kick another coffee table in October
🙂
Why
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Astros signing Rowdy Tellez this winter.
Aus… He wasn’t of any interest to the rebuilding Jays. The time to trade Meyers was last year.