Outfielder José Azocar elected free agency after being outrighted by the Mets, relays Mike Puma of The New York Post. He’d been designated for assignment over the weekend. It’s the second time in the past couple months in which Azocar went unclaimed on waivers. Players with multiple career outrights can test free agency.
Azocar will be limited to minor league offers but could look for a team with less outfield depth. He didn’t have much of a path to playing time behind Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor, Juan Soto and fourth outfielder Starling Marte. The Mets had carried him on the MLB roster since April 17, and he only started five games in as many weeks. Azocar made an appearance as a pinch-runner the night before being DFA, the first time he’d played in any capacity since May 14.
The 29-year-old Azocar spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Padres. He operated as a speed and defense specialist off the bench. Azocar hit .243/.287/.322 with a couple home runs and 18 stolen bases in just under 400 plate appearances in a San Diego uniform. The Mets added him via waivers last September. They kept him on an optional assignment to Triple-A for the rest of that season.
That was his final option year, so the Mets had to carry him on the MLB roster or expose him to waivers this year. He went unclaimed at the end of Spring Training. The Mets brought him back up after a couple weeks in Triple-A, where he’d been hitting .244 with a .367 on-base mark over 11 games. Azocar has a .286/.322/.434 slash in nearly 900 career Triple-A plate appearances. He’s a plus-plus runner with more than 5000 professional innings of center field experience.
Any outfielder should take free agency and their agent calls San Diego or Detroit
His 84 OPS+ this season would be a huge improvement over Heyward and he plays just as good if not better defense.
Of course, it is only 18 AB.
He’s good at baserunning and stealing and plays solid defense. He’s not so amazing at the plate.
He is better at the plate than what we have seen from Padres LF this season so far. That .185/.230/.270/.500 with a 41 OPS+ production they have gotten from the LF here is putrid.
baseball-reference.com/teams/split.cgi?t=b&te…
Azocar is Connor Joe. Should have kept Connor Joe.
What was the Connor Joe contract, 1.25 million?
So there’s the price difference,
Azocar has speed above joe,
And there’s the guy the Padres got in the trade for Joe.
So, no.
Ok, Renfroe over Azocar. Azocar is a great team player but not a difference maker, at this point in LF.
Come on home Sugar. It may be short lived, but you will fill a void.
He must really hate Syracuse!
Can anyone explain why they’d pass on him on waivers and then sign him? Do the Mets have to continue to pay him? I thought the new team had to pay him league minimum which I’d imagine is what Mets contract was. I’d understand it if he was making over league minimum.