Mets sign INF Donovan Walton, OF Rafael Ortega to minor-league deals with spring training invites
The Juan Soto sweepstakes is far from over, but the Mets have made a couple of moves to bolster their depth, as the team announced Monday they have signed infielder Donovan Walton and outfielder Rafael Ortega to minor league contracts with an invite to Spring Training.
Walton, 30, has 70 games of MLB experience with the Mariners and Giants since making his MLB debut in 2019, including nine games in San Fran last year. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he slashed .306/.380/.441 with seven homers and 51 RBI in 99 games while playing second, third, and short.
He also actually pitched in 11 games, 10 in Sacramento and one in the Majors, allowing three earned runs in 12 Triple-A innings and throwing one scoreless inning for the Giants.
Ortega, 33, played 47 games for the Mets in 2023, slashing .219/.341/.272 during a season where he spent spring with the Yankees and then two months with Texas before signing with the Mets. He spent last season in the White Sox organization, slashing .289/.414/.498 with 11 homers, 53 RBI, and 17 steals in 84 games at Triple-A Charlotte and .071/.177/.071 in 14 MLB games.
The Mets have a very uncertain infield situation as free agency opens in earnest, with Francisco Lindor at short and Mark Vientos somewhere in the infield but nothing else settled, so Walton could be a veteran utility option a la Jose Iglesias this year. They're also thin in the outfield, with Jose Azocar the only 40-man roster option with MLB experience beyond the current starting trio of Nimmo, Marte, and Taylor.
