Mets Designate Gavin Cecchini, Announce Justin Wilson Signing

The Mets have designated infielder Gavin Cecchini for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to just-signed reliever Justin Wilson, whose previously reported deal is now official.

Cecchini, 25, was the 12th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Clearly, his development has not gone as anticipated at that time. He has appeared briefly in the majors, but has not yet come close to commanding a full chance at the game’s highest level.

Perhaps it’s not too soon to give up hope on Cecchini, who turned in a pair of productive upper-minors campaigns at the plate in 2015-16 but has fallen off the pace since. The high-contact, low-power hitter scuffled a bit in 2017 and missed much of the ensuing season with a foot injury, though he hit just fine when healthy.

For the Mets, there were obviously too many infield alternatives and too many other roster demands to hang on to Cecchini. One significant factor is likely the fact that he has largely moved over to second base from shortstop, limiting his pathways to the majors.

At this point, perhaps, the smart money is on a future as a utility player. That said, there’s still some real potential value. And other teams may well think that Cecchini still has the tools to become a significant performer. With one more option year remaining, he could be a trade or waiver-wire target for clubs that have an under-utilized roster spot and want to take a shot.