New York Mets trade minor league infielder to Phillies

Walton, 31, is a lefty-hitting utility player who has seen limited major league action with the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants over the past six seasons. He joined the Mets organization on a minor league deal in mid-November and has been with their Triple-A affiliate ever since.

In 73 games with Syracuse, Walton hit .222/.315/.377 with 11 home runs in 295 plate appearances. The former fifth-round pick owns a career .271/.357/.456 slash line in more than 300 games at the Triple-A level but has not found the same success in the majors, batting .174/.227/.305 in 70 games.

During spring training, Walton competed with Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Luis De Los Santos, and Jared Young for a spot on the Mets’ bench. New York ultimately gave the Opening Day nods to Baty and Acuña, though Young has also spent some time in the majors this season.

Now that Ronny Mauricio is fully healthy, along with Jeff McNeil — who missed the start of 2025 with an oblique injury — the Mets have an infield logjam. McNeil’s outfield versatility has enabled New York to keep Baty, Mauricio, and Mark Vientos on its 26-man roster, while Acuña and Young remain in Triple-A as depth and are likely the first choices for a call-up if needed.

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Unlike New York, the Phillies were lacking infield depth in the upper levels of the minors. Weston Wilson is the only infielder on their 40-man roster who is not in the majors, while their most experienced non-roster option, Christian Arroyo, is currently on the injured list with Lehigh Valley.

Walton gives the IronPigs another middle infield option with big league experience. He may have a clearer path to a promotion with his new organization, though he will have to compete with Rodolfo Castro, who has a slightly higher OPS in Triple-A this season.