Alex Castellanos leaves for Japan, Mets re-sign Zach Lutz and assign him to Triple-A

The Mets have re-signed 29-year-old Zach Lutz and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.

Lutz, who plays first and third base, was once a top prospect in the Mets organization, jumping all the way from low-A ball to Triple-A in 2010. He was a career .287/.381/.478 hitter in the minor leagues. Lutz also played 22 games in the majors between 2012 and 2013, hitting .226/.351/.290 in 37 at bats, but his stay was always temporary with David Wright blocking his way at third base.

He was released in June 2014 and joined the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Japan Pacific League, where he hit .314/.379/.667 in 58 plate appearances. This year, he hit .111/.167/.222 in 30 plate appearances with the Doosan Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization.

Lutz will be taking the roster spot of 28-year-old Alex Castellanos, who is headed to Japan, according to Rubin. Castellanos hit .314/.381/.614 in 312 plate appearances in Las Vegas this year, playing in the outfield and corner infield. Castellanos had been tossed around as a possible offensive boost in the majors, including by our own Matt Searle last month.

Lutz could stay in Triple-A as a veteran fill-in, but with Wright out for the foreseeable future, he could also be an option at third base with the big league club.