6:41pm: Inciarte will earn a prorated $1.1MM salary for any time he spends in the majors with the Mets, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (on Twitter).
3:34pm: The Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran outfielder Ender Inciarte, reports SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link). The longtime Braves center fielder spent the first portion of the season with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate but was released last week.
Inciarte has yet to crack the major leagues this season after signing a minor league deal with the Yankees over the offseason. He generally played well over his Triple-A time, posting a .252/.336/.408 line with four home runs and stolen bases apiece through 116 trips to the plate. Inciarte walked at a robust 11.2% clip while going down on strikes only 14.7% of the time, and his overall offensive output was about league average.
Continued passable production at the plate could eventually get Inciarte another look in the majors, as he’s a well-regarded defensive player. A three-time Gold Glove award winner with Atlanta, he’s capable of suiting up at all three outfield spots but has seen most of his time in either center or left field. Inciarte’s defensive numbers have fallen from their elite heights as he’s gotten into his 30’s, but he’s still rated average or slightly above with the glove in recent years.
The bigger concern is that Inciarte’s production at the plate had fallen sharply since the 2020 campaign kicked off. The lefty-swinger has never been a great hitter, but his .286/.338/.390 career line through 2019 was more than sufficient considering his defensive acumen. Between 2020-21, however, Inciarte managed only a .200/.267/.277 mark in 220 trips to the dish. That eventually resulted in his release from the Braves, and subsequent non-roster pacts with the Reds and Yankees haven’t resulted in an MLB opportunity.
The Mets have one of the game’s best outfields, with Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte suiting up on a regular basis. Backups Nick Plummer and Dominic Smith are better suited in the corners, and the center field-capable Travis Jankowski underwent hand surgery late last month. Inciarte adds some experienced depth to the upper minors alongside Khalil Lee, who presumably remains ahead on the depth chart by virtue of his spot on the 40-man roster.
I like it
Nice depth piece.
As a Braves fan, I always liked Ender. Even when he wasn’t hitting well, he always seemed to be giving it his all and he was fantastic in CF. I wish him the best with the Mets. Hopefully he gets called up and performs well while the Mets lose as many games as possible. Lol.
Side note: He used to be quite a beast to play with on MLB the Show. The defense would shift against him and I could lay down bunts pretty easily and then steal 2nd. A couple of seasons, he led the league in triples for me, too.
But you muted the Matt vasgersian announcing right?
It’s even worse without him now
Bunt Cheese lol
I hate this. As a Braves fan I know how this goes. Ender ends up playing like gangbusters and destroys the Braves when they play the Mets. it’s just the way things go. LOL
That’s part of why it’s a good move!
@advplee
So basically Travis d’Arnaud?
You wish you still had d’Arnaud.
@Drew
Based on what the other commenter wrote that’s exactly what I meant. Compared to what the Mets have now d’Arnaud would be a difference maker.
Definitely wish we still had d’Arnaud
I personally thought my Mets gave up on d’Arnaud too early but he is always hurt. the Dodger gave up on him too after just a couple of days.
If I were to guess who he was based only on his bbref pic, I would’ve never guessed it was Inciarte. The guy almost looks completely different.
That’s what playing on the yankees’AAA team does…you have to be clean shaven there too. Remember Rougned Odor last year? I think he has not shaved since he was designated
English?
What didn’t you understand? Odor had to shave his beard when playing for the Yankees and grew his beard back after he was DFA’d.
Good depth signing.
Can he throw strikes? The guy in there now has walked two on four pitches with a six run lead.
Wow, the dumpire just handed him a strike out. Go robo.
Relax a bit. It’s 2 walks. Not 5 runs.
There’s no relaxing in baseball.
Ok, it’s over. Aaaaaaaaah.
Better than Jankowski and gives Plummer time in the minors.
No way is he better than Travis! This isn’t 2019…
Jankowski is miles better than Enciarte.
Better hair, too.
Ender is in the Mets he is not Enciarte.
Actually he’s “on” the Mets, so Onciarte?
I boo this comment.
I like this move, hes a fillin till jankowski comes back. Plummer needs more at bats in triple a till hes ready for the big leagues
It’s possible that call could come quickly since this morning the Mets had three players on “baby watch.” Lugo went on the paternity list and Dom was called back up. Peterson and McNeil are likely to be next. They would be replaced by one hitter and one pitcher respectively since pitching is now limited to 13.
Jankowski due back early July from a fractured finger.
Hopefully this is insurance rather than a setback.
Dom Smith is not suited for anywhere in the OF.
I hope for this when I saw he was released. I’m not sold on Plummer, and I’m also not sold that Dom is ever going to find his swing. Obviously no guarantee Inciarte is any better, but it seems like a smart gamble.
I like Ender but the Braves should have traded him when he had value in 2017 or 2018.
He joins the list of players like Jair Jurrgens and the late Tommy Hanson as players the Braves held onto too long.
I was hoping for Lorenzo Cain to finish the year with the Mets, but I guess that is off the table now that Ender is signed. Nit a bad signing, just not what i had hoped for.
and of course will be seeing a homerun robbery by Inciarte when the Mets play the Braves
I was at the game where he robbed Cespedes of a game winning HR or maybe double off the wall. Just a great play. Closed the gap and jumped perfectly.He’s a below average offensive player and he probably has lost a step on defense. Emergency backup stored in AAA? Why not?
I recall back when he got his money and Odubel Herrera got his for the Phillies, and the debates on what the better signing was. I recall thinking that Ender was better because of his defense, but Odubel seems to be producing this year.
Anyone else interested in looking at their hindsight?
@El Duderino
I am not very flexible these days, so it’s difficult to see my hindsight. However, if I use a mirror it becomes a little easier.
This nexium seems to be causing me issues in hindsight.
His defense, especially in the later years in Atl, was soooooo overrated. People leach on to the old days where he did play great defense and assumed he was still playing good defense… failed to see reality
There’s a lot of truth to that.
I like it. Has a glove, a little power, occasionally gets on base. He should keep the NYMs from scrambling should something go wrong. That’s all you want with your depth pieces.
So much better than Khalil Lee in CF. I’ve seen enough of that.
Can he pitch?
No, he’s an outfielder.
He has zero career appearances as a pitcher.
I’d rather he could pitch
Has anyone figured out Ender’s Game?
Yeah, he apparently had a problem annihilating the species that tried to annihilate us. It was a so-so movie with an ending that I didn’t understand.
Thanks, Joe! That definitely clears things up.
Enders Game was a good book. The movie not so much.
Mets love Yankee hand-me-downs.