Mets add 7 minor leaguers to their player pool and officially open MCU Park

The Mets announced Monday an additional seven players, all minor leaguers, will be added to the 60-man pool for the 2020 season. Included are three right-handed pitchers (Matt Blackham, Jordan Humphreys, and Franklyn Kilome) and two left-handed pitchers (Stephen Gonsalves and Thomas Szapucki), as well as catcher David Rodriguez and infielder Jake Hager.

Of the seven, only Gonsalves has major league experience—24 innings pitched for Minnesota in 2018 prior to being claimed off waivers by the Mets last year. Both Kilome and Szapucki were well-regarded prospects who fell from grace due to injury and are looking to reestablish themselves. The Mets acquired Kilome in trade from the Phillies in 2017 in return for Asdrubal Cabrera. He did not pitch at all in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, but had been seeing improved numbers upon coming to the Mets, increasing his strikeout rate and lowering his walk rate during his time in the Mets’ system. Szapucki, also having seen a delay in his development due to Tommy John Surgery, is the highest rated prospect among these players, ranking eighth on Amazin’ Avenue’s 2020 Top 25 list, with Kilome right behind him in the ninth slot.

Rodriguez was most recently with the Rays organization and provides additional catcher depth behind Wilson Ramos, Rene Rivera, and Ali Sanchez.

The team’s player pool is now at 58, with a total of 60 slots available.

Additionally, the team has officially opened MCU Park in Brooklyn as their alternative summer camp site. It remains closed to fans and the media for health and safety reasons.