Mets Sign Trayce Thompson to Minor League Deal

The 32-year-old journeyman outfielder additionally received an invite to Spring Training.

The New York Mets have added to their outfield depth.

On Wednesday, the Mets signed veteran outfielder Trayce Thompson to a minor league deal, which also includes an invite to Spring Training. The signing was reported by Andy Martino of SNY.

The acquisition of Thompson, the younger brother of NBA superstar Klay Thompson, is seen as a simple depth signing with little risk. If he makes the major league roster, he’d likely be the fourth or fifth outfielder.

Thompson has a career slash line of .212/.300/.411 with 45 home runs in seven seasons. He is very strikeout-prone, but boasts home run power that he primarily brandished in 2022.

That year, Thompson played in 74 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers and had the best season of his career. He hit .268/.364/.537 and swatted 13 home runs, with a 149 OPS+. Arriving to the team on June 20, Thompson helped the Dodgers finish with the best record in the majors thanks to his power hitting down the stretch, despite striking out in 36% of his plate appearances.

Thompson started the 2023 season strong by hitting three home runs and driving in eight runs in his first game of the year against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, that game would account for half of his season’s home run total. He would eventually be traded to the Chicago White Sox in a trade deadline deal that netted Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly for the Dodgers; Thompson ultimately struggled immensely in 2023 with a .163/.285/.294 slash line, and had a ghastly strikeout percentage of 43%. However, an oblique strain that he suffered during the season could be a factor to his decline.

Despite the rocky 2023 campaign, the impressive showing in 2022 was enough to convince the Mets to take a chance on the outfielder, who will turn 33 years old in March. If he enjoys a pain-free Spring Training and plays his way onto the active roster, the Mets could have a useful asset on their bench.