The Mets and the catcher Logan Porter agreed to a major league deal, according to KPRC 2's Ari Alexander on X. The Gaeta Sports Management client deal is still pending physicals. Porter has options and won't be added to the active roster, but it looks like he'll make the 40-man spot. The Mets will need to make room there to make the move legal.
Porter, 29, spent most of his career with the Royals until recently. An undrafted free agent signed by Kansas City in 2018, he made a brief appearance in the majors last year, getting into 13 games. He was non-tendered at the end of the season and re-signed with the Royals on a minor league contract.
He was acquired by the Giants about a month ago in a cash deal, but activated his opt-out clause on Tuesday. The Giants could have kept him by adding him to their roster but it seems they let him go and now the Mets will be the ones to give him that roster spot.
Porter hit just .194/.324/.323 in the majors last year, albeit in a short sample of 38 plate appearances. His career on the farm has been excellent, as he slashed .277/.401/.466 in his 1,766 minor league plate appearances. That translates to a 131 wRC+, which shows he was 31% better than league average.
That includes a .293/.390/.500 line and a 127 wRC+ this year, albeit in uneven fashion. He hit .319/.428/.575 with the Royals but then posted a .253/.329/.387 line after being traded to the Buckeyes. However, that recent streak was only in 85 plate games and the overall performance appears to be good enough to interest his new club.
The Mets currently have a tandem of Francisco Alvarez again Luis Torrens managing their catching jobs at the big league level. Alvarez was one of the top prospects in baseball not too long ago and has held his own in the majors thus far, hitting .231/.305/.450 for a career 110 wRC+ with solid defensive margins. Torrens joined the club six weeks ago and has been killing it in that time, with a .283/.333/.547 slash line and 149 wRC+ since becoming a Met. That's significantly better than his .231/.292/.367 career line but the Mets will likely ride the hot hand for as long as possible.
But these two are the only holdovers on the 40-man roster. Once Porter's deal becomes official, they will have depth to choose from should Alvarez or Torrens get hurt. Porter has full options and a few service days, meaning he could be a long-term piece for the Mets if he holds on to his roster spot. Porter also has experience at first and third base, which could help him into a relief role at some point down the line as long as he continues to hit.
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