The Mets have sent catcher Michael Perez outright to Triple-A Syracuse, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Perez was designated for assignment last week.
Perez, 30, made his MLB debut with Tampa in 2018 and spent his first three seasons there. He went to the Pirates on a waiver claim after the 2020 season and was with them until July of this year, when he was designated for assignment and then flipped to the Mets for cash considerations.
Perez has never been given an extended stretch of playing time in the big leagues, with last year’s 70 games a career high. He hasn’t produced much with the bat in those small samples, producing a career batting line of .174/.244/.301 for a wRC+ of 51. This year was roughly the same, as he hit .149/.214/.298 between the Bucs and Mets. He’s generally fared better in Triple-A, however, hitting .260/.341/.445 across parts of four seasons at that level.
Players with more than three years of MLB service time or those who have previously been outrighted in their career can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. Perez qualifies on both counts and will likely opt for the open market, though there’s no official word that he has done so just yet.
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