Mets signed Donovan Walton to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com’s player profile page. Walton elected to become a free agent in early November when the Giants removed him from the 40-man roster – since Walton had not been clear on his career, he has the right to choose free agency rather than accept another outright assignment.
The 30-year-old appeared in nine games after San Francisco selected Walton’s contract from the active roster in mid-September, marking Walton’s first major league playing time since 2022. games in parts of four seasons before Seattle traded him to the Giants in May 2022. That season was cut short by shoulder surgery that kept him on the shelf for a good chunk of the 2023 campaign, as Walton sat out the rest of that season. in the Giants’ minor league program.
If the 2023 season was to be a return to the prime of Walton’s life, he looked sharp this season hitting .306/.380/.441 over 387 plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento. This nearly matched his .287/.370/454 slash line over 975 PA career at the Triple-A level, but Walton was unable to put that production on display, hitting only .174/.227/ .305 in 205 PA with the Mariners and Giants.
Walton has largely split his time between the two central midfield positions, although he has some experience as a third back and left winger. Although his lack of offense lowers his ceiling, Walton is a versatile left tackle, making him an interesting option for teams looking to fill out the roster. The Mets could give Walton a look during spring training and see what he can bring to the table as a depth prospect for the big league team or in Triple-A.
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