Mets sign Matt Adams to minor league deal

The Mets signed first baseman Matt Adams to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training, the team announced earlier today. Adams will compete for a spot on the team’s bench.

Adams spent his first seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .266/.311/.449 with a 106 wRC+, including a career-best 2.4 bWAR in 142 games during the 2014 season. He was dealt to the Atlanta Braves in 2017 before signing with the Washington Nationals. He was lobbied back and forth between the two clubs and ended up back in St. Louis in August 2018 via trade before signing with the Nationals again for the 2019 season.

In 333 plate appearances for Washington last season, the left-handed hitting Adams slashed .226/.276/.465 with an 84 wRC+ and a 0.0 bWAR. While his overall numbers have dipped in recent years, his power numbers have increased. He hit a career-high 21 home runs between the Nationals and Cardinals in 2018, and launched 20 long balls last year. He did finish 2019 with a career-worst 34.5% strikeout rate.

The 31-year-old Adams primarily plays first base but also has some experience in left field. With Dominic Smith still on the club, Adams is a bit redundant as they play the same positions. He could serve as insurance should the club trade Smith, and provides the team with minor league depth in case of injury. Smith, Tomas Nido or Renee Rivera, Luis Guillorme, and Jake Marisnick are likely locks to make the team, while Jed Lowrie’s status remains uncertain following an injury-plagued 2019. The team recently inked Eduardo Nunez to a minor league contract.