Danny Espinosa may be an underrated addition

After an offseason that saw the Mets add several big additions to their roster, the signing of Danny Espinosa was one that flew under the radar. In early February, the Mets signed the 31-year-old infielder to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Although he did not play at the major league level last season, Espinosa was once a regular contributor for the Nationals and has the potential to be a useful depth option for the Mets this season.

Since his tenure with Washington ended in 2016, Espinosa has spent time with the Angels, Blue Jays, Rays, Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers, and Blue Jays, however, he did not see time at the big league level with all of those organizations. Last season, Espinosa spent time in the minor leagues with Toronto, Philadelphia, and the Dodgers. Over that time, he batted .229 with 8 home runs and 65 hits in 80 games played.

Throughout an eight year career, Espinosa owns a career .221 batting average and has collected 98 home runs and 139 doubles in 872 games. His most productive season came in 2016, when he hit 24 home runs in 157 games for the Nationals, however, he has been unable to replicate that success since then. Defensively, Espinosa is a solid infielder with a strong arm. In 2016, while playing shortstop for Washington, he recorded some of the hardest throws for a shortstop in all of baseball, topping 93 mph several times.

While, Amed Rosario, Todd Frazier, Robinson Cano, and Jed Lowrie presumably hold starting spots throughout the season, Espinosa will have an opportunity to prove his worth as a valuable depth piece. For example, Jed Lowrie has already dealt with some soreness behind his knee during Spring Training, so Espinosa could provide a veteran presence in the event of an injury.

While he will start the season in Triple-A, there is a good chance Espinosa will get a chance in Queens at some point this year.