The New York Mets have lacked speed for much of the past few seasons. That changed Sunday morning when the Mets acquired Billy Hamilton from the San Fransisco Giants for pitcher Jordan Humphreys.
Humphreys was DFA’d by the Mets earlier this week and was currently the 14th ranked prospect on the Mets according to MLB.com. He has yet to pitch over High A and had Tommy John surgery in 2018.
Billy Hamilton
After six years with the Cincinnati Reds, where the speedster stole 299 bases, Hamilton played for both the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves last year. He started this season off with the San Francisco Giants organization and had yet to appear in a game.
The Mets already have some depth in the outfield in Ryan Cordell, Jake Marisnick, and Juan Lagares on their 60-man player pool. The Mets placed Marisnick on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, and Cordell is hitless in his first two at-bats with the Mets. However, a roster spot became available after Yoenis Cespedes opted out for the remainder of the 2020 season.
Hamilton’s bat has always been the problem. He is a lifetime .242 hitter and has mainly been used as a defensive replacement and a pinch-runner in the past couple of seasons.
Other Mets Moves
New York also announced they traded right-hander Tyler Bashlor to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. Bashlor was active for one game this season. He had made relief appearances over two years with the Mets and was 0-6 with a 5.33 ERA.
Also, the Mets placed Jed Lowrie on the 45-day injured list. Lowrie has only played in seven games since signing with the Mets last offseason. He was diagnosed with PCL laxity in his knee as his Mets’ career seems to be over. He will be a free agent at the end of the 2020 season.
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