First baseman James Loney and relief pitcher Jim Henderson will not be returning to the New York Mets this season. Loney has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Jim Henderson will be headed to the Chicago Cubs on a minor league deal, according Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.
Loney, 32, disappointed in 100 games with the Mets in 2016. He slashed just .265/.307/.397 with nine homers, 16 doubles, and a triple, well below average both for the league and the first base position. He was an emergency acquisition to replace Lucas Duda, who missed most of the season due to injury. Loney was acquired from the San Diego Padres after playing two months in their minor league system. He owns a career .284/.336/.410 batting line.
Henderson, 34, had an up and down season with the Mets, finishing the year with a 4.11 ERA over 35 innings pitched. Over that span he struck out an impressive 40 batters while walking 14. He missed most of June, July, and August with a bicep issue. He has a career 3.61 ERA in 137 MLB innings.
