Mets Sign 4-Year Royals Veteran After Harsh Exit: Report

It's a deal that could get up to $1.5 million

May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The end of MJ Melendez's disappointing Kansas City Royals tenure became totaly official on Sunday.

Melendez, the Royals' former No. 2 prospect behind Bobby Witt Jr., played four partial seasons in Kansas City, concluding last year with a treacherous start at the major league level that preceded his demotion to Triple-A for roughly 80% of the season. Then, the Royals non-tendered him in November.

On Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Melendez and the New York Mets had agreed to a major league contract worth $1.5 million, plus another $500,000 in potential incentives. The 27-year-old will be added to New York's 40-man roster, though perhaps not until spring training begins this week and the Mets can open a spot by moving someone to the 60-day injured list.

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Why Melendez made sense for another team, not Royals

Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez (1) at bat against the New York Yankees during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Melendez came up through the Royals' farm system as a catcher, but he was such a good athlete that Kansas City decided to convert him to the outfield, partially because Salvador Perez quite obviously had a vise grip on the starting catching job, and partially because early in his major league career, Melendez's defense behind the plate had proven unsalvageable.

Four years later, it's safe to say that experiment flopped.

In 435 games for the Royals, Melendez posted a .215/.297/.388 slash line, 52 home runs, 437 strikeouts, and negative-1.4 bWAR. His defense at both positions was a major issue, as he racked up negative-19 defensive runs saved as a catcher and negative-23 as an outfielder.

After hitting .085 with a .343 OPS in his first 16 games of last season, the Royals optioned Melendez to Triple-A for the first time since the end of spring training in 2022. And although he'd return for seven more games (in which he went 1-for-13), that demotion was effectively the beginning of the end in Kansas City.

The Mets' outfield seemed to have an opening, and despite Melendez's rough overall track record, they decided to bank on the obvious athleticism and tools he has always had to finally play up.

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