Mets sign Dilson Herrera to a minor league contract

The New York Mets have signed infielder Dilson Herrera to a minor league contract and have invited him to Spring Training. Herrera, who appeared in 49 games over two seasons with the Mets, will turn 25 this March.

The Mets originally acquired Herrera and Vic Black from the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 27, 2013 in exchange for Marlon Byrd and John Buck. After splitting time in 2014 between St. Lucie and Binghamton, he made his major league debut with the Mets on August 29, 2014. The second baseman hit .220/.303/.407 and posted a 105 wRC+ in 59 at-bats at the major league level in 2014 and followed that up with a .211/.311/.367 slash line and a 95 wRC+ in 90 at-bats in 2015.

Herrera did not make an appearance for the Mets in 2016 and was eventually dealt to the Cincinnati Reds as part of the deal that brought Jay Bruce to New York. He spent the entirety of the 2016 and 2017 seasons in Triple-A, and was eventually promoted by the Reds on July 6, 2018. He appeared in a career-high 53 games for the Reds last season and slashed .184/.268/.414 with an 81 wRC+ and a career-best .230 ISO. He also posted an alarmingly-high 40.2% strikeout rate to go along with a career-worst 8.2% walk rate. At the Triple-A level, Herrera had a fantastic year. He posted a .297 batting average, an .832 OPS, a .168 ISO, and a 135 wRC+.

While he only appeared at second base with the Mets, Herrera did play some third base and left field for the Reds last season, along with one inning at first base. However, the metrics show that he struggled defensively away from his natural position, as he posted a -2 DRS and a -17.1 UZR/150 in left field while closing the year with a -5.3 UZR/150 at third base. At second, he finished 2018 with a 7.7 UZR/150.