The offseason of turmoil for catcher Tyler Heineman continued on Tuesday, as the former Toronto Blue Jay was designated for assignment by the New York Mets.
Per Will Sammon of 'The Athletic:'
The Mets designated catcher Tyler Heineman for assignment to make room on the 40-man for Adam Ottavino, club announced.
Heineman was let go by Toronto this offseason and picked up by New York. Now, he'll wait for the next steps in his career again. The Mets will have a week to trade him, release him or send him to the minor leagues.
Heineman has played parts of four years in the big leagues with the Marlins, Giants, Pirates and Blue Jays. Lifetime, he's a .218 hitter with one home run and 15 RBI. He got into 19 games for Toronto in 2023, registering three RBI and posting a .432 on-base percentage.
Heineman made his debut with the Marlins in 2019. He was drafted by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2012 draft. He's now 32 years old and will turn 33 next season.
He should get an opportunity somewhere, if even with the Mets' (or another team) minor league affiliates. His veteran presence would likely be welcome in the development of younger pitchers.
The Mets currently have young stud Francisco Alvarez and veteran catcher Omar Narvaez on the 40-man roster, which likely meant that Heineman was expendable. Narvaez dealt with significant injuries in 2023 so if Heineman can stay in the organization, he could very well get his shot with New York.
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