The Mets released an outfielder Trayce Thompson, according to his purchase log on MLB.com. He signed a minor league contract with the club this past season.
A second-round pick in the 2009 draft, Thompson made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2015. Since then he has spent time with the organizations of the Dodgers, Yankees, Athletics, Guardians, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Padres, Tigers, and Mets, among others. two separate seasons with the Dodgers and three with the White Sox.
Thompson, now 33 years old, had the best year of his career with the Dodgers in 2022. He joined the team in mid-June (after brief stints with the Padres and Tigers) and stuck with the active roster for the rest of the season. Over 74 games with LA that year, he slashed .268/.364/.537 with 14 doubles and 13 home runs. He also excelled in the field, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage and 4 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 496 2/3 innings of defense. After his impressive performance, Thompson made the Dodger's Opening Day roster in 2023 but struggled to repeat his success from the previous year. He spent most of June and July in IL with a severe oblique, and the Dodgers traded him back to the White Sox at the deadline as part of a package Lance Lynn again Joe Kelly. Thompson struggled throughout the year in Chicago, and the White Sox released him after the season. He opted for free agency shortly thereafter.
The Mets came this past winter, and Thompson agreed to a minor league deal with his tenth organization in December. Although he earned an invitation to spring training and produced an .891 OPS in 12 Grapefruit League games, he failed to earn a spot on New York's Opening Day roster. He hit well in 62 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, hitting 16 home runs and posting an .800 OPS in 253 plate appearances. However, the International League has a high offense rate, as evidenced by Thompson's .800 OPS translating to a below average 95 wRC+. The Mets recently needed to promote an outfielder Star Marte it went through IL, but that was it Ben Gamel – another veteran who signed a minor league contract with the team this offseason – who got the call.
Thompson is now eligible to seek his next opportunity and possibly join his eleventh MLB organization.
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