The New York Mets have signed outfielder Trayce Thompson to a minor league deal, Andy Martino of SNY reported Wednesday.
Thompson, brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, is another depth signing who will likely split time between Syracuse and Queens depending on the team’s need and his performance. The 32-year-old has had a rollercoaster baseball career with a plethora of ups and downs, and there’s no guarantee which version of him the Mets are going to get. On a minor league deal, though, signing him carries little risk.
Thompson was drafted in the second round by the Chicago White Sox, came up through their system, and debuted with them in 2016. He was included in a three-team trade where he ended up on the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he hit 13 home runs in his first 80 games. Still 25 years old at the time, he was viewed as a promising, power-hitting prospect.
He struggled badly in 2017, though, both in LA with the Dodgers and in Oklahoma City with their Triple-A affiliate. In early April of 2018, the Dodgers DFA’d him, and he was briefly picked up by the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics before winding up back with the White Sox. He posted a ghastly .378 OPS in 48 games with Chicago, earning him another DFA in June.
The then-Cleveland Indians signed him to a minor league deal in 2019, and he put up a 90 wRC+ over 89 Triple-A games. His strong .263 ISO was offset by his ugly 36.1% strikeout rate. He was eventually released and made pit stops on the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres before winding up all the way back in LA with the Dodgers in 2022.
Thompson appeared to have somewhat of a resurgence after rejoining the Dodgers. In 74 games, he posted a 153 wRC+, fueled by 13 home runs and a .268 ISO. His strikeout rate was still dangerously high at 36%.
He regressed again in 2023, with his strikeout rate skyrocketing to 43.5% and his wRC+ plummeting to 65. He ended up going back to the White Sox yet again as part of the Lance Lynn trade, where he was even worse: a 40 wRC+ and only one home run in 40 games.
Thompson is a flawed player who could be a non-factor if he struggles, but could provide some value if he can regain his 2022 form. Even when he’s at his best, he strikes out a lot, but he has the ability to provide power off the bench in a limited role. He has reverse splits for his career, with a 105 wRC+ against righties and 81 against lefties.
Thompson is just the latest in a slew of depth signings the Mets have made already this offseason, with David Stearns hoping to catch lightning in a bottle somewhere as he fills out this roster.
