New York Mets Sign Power-Hitting Catcher to Minor League Deal

The New York Mets have signed a power-hitting catcher to a minor league deal, adding depth behind the plate in their system.

May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have been busy on the depth front.

The Mets have now added another piece in 28-year-old catcher Chris Williams on a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Williams was selected in the eighth-round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, but has yet to make his major league debut.

In six minor league seasons, Williams has a career slash line of .227/.344/.464 with a .808 OPS, 95 home runs and 303 RBI in 481 games.

Williams has some pop in his bat, slugging 66 homers across the past three seasons with 48 of these long balls coming at the Triple-A level.

Williams had 17 homers and a .800 OPS in 88 games at Triple-A with the Twins last season.

The Mets are currently projected to start Francisco Alvarez at catcher and have Luis Torrens, a late-May pickup, continue to back him up.

This means Williams was brought in as an insurance/depth option, who will likely catch in Triple-A Syracuse until he is needed in the big-leagues.

In addition to Williams, the Mets signed utility man Jared Young to a one-year, major league split deal earlier in the week.

The majority of minor league deals the Mets have dished out this offseason have been distributed to pitchers. But Williams, Young, Rafael Ortega, Edward Olivares and Alex Ramirez round out the position players they have inked to minors deals so far.

It remains to be seen whether Williams will receive his first call-up to the big-leagues in 2025, but in the very least he brings offensive upside to the upper levels of the Mets' system.

The Mets signed superstar right fielder Juan Soto to a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal and acquired center fielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays via trade. However, they still have holes in their infield to fill on the position player side.