Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez (1) runs to first base during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Mets Sign Former Top Prospect to MLB Deal

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Pat Ragazzo | Last updated Feb 8, 2026 5:00 PM ET

The New York Mets have added a former second-round draft pick and top prospect to boost their roster depth.

The Mets have signed outfielder/catcher MJ Melendez to a one-year, major league deal worth $1.5 million with $500,000 in incentives, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Mets agree to deal with MJ Melendez. MLB deal. $1.5M plus $500K incentives
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2026

Melendez was a second-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals back in 2017 who has the ability to play both corner outfield spots. He has not caught in the big-leagues since the 2023 season with the Royals. He was once the Royals' No. 2 prospect behind Bobby Witt Jr.

The left-handed hitter appeared in just 23 games for the Royals last year, posting a -0.6 bWAR and slashing .083/.154/.167 with a .321 OPS, one home run and one RBI in 60 at-bats. However, he hit 20 homers, stole 20 bases and drove in 64 RBI with a .813 OPS in 107 games at Triple-A last season.

Prior to 2025, Melendez showed some pop with the Royals, slugging 51 homers between 2022-2024, hitting at least 16 long balls in each of those three seasons.

The 27-year-old will be competing for a backup spot in the Mets' outfield with Tyrone Taylor and, Vidal Brujan and Cristian Pache. Melendez has one minor league option remaining, per FanGraphs.

The Mets are giving top prospect Carson Benge a runway to claim the starting left field job with Brett Baty also being in the mix out there.

A Closer Look at the Mets' Roster Construction

After signing Melendez, the Mets brought in some much-needed outfield depth as they're currently loaded on infielders.

The Mets' outfield coming into camp now consists of Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., Brujan, Benge, Taylor, Pache, Melendez and Baty (a natural infielder).

In the dirt, the Mets are quite stacked with Baty, Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Ronny Mauricio, Brujan and Mark Vientos. Jared Young is another utility option for the Mets as well.

It's interesting the way president of baseball operations David Stearns chose to construct his roster with a plethora of infielders. It appears as though the Mets are focusing on athleticism to improve their defense and run prevention in 2026.

This is a stark contrast from the 2025 roster that had plenty of defensive deficiencies that masked these issues with offensive production.

The Mets are counting on players such as Bichette and Polanco to play in the corners of the infield for the first time in their respective careers. Time will tell regarding whether this strategy works out for the team.

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