On Wednesday, Travis Jankowski and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reports the outfielder will head to Triple-A Syracuse.
The Tampa Bay Rays placed the soon-to-be 34-year-old on waivers earlier in June, but he went unclaimed and elected free agency. This season, he appeared in 14 games with the Rays, mainly as a defensive replacement or pinch runner off the bench. Jankowski hit .258/.294/.323 with a .617 OPS and two stolen bases during his short stint with Tampa Bay.
The Rays acquired Jankowski from the Chicago White Sox near the end of April, and he landed on the 15-day injured list due to a left groin strain on May 15. Instead of adding him back to the active roster or keeping him in the organization at Triple-A Durham, the Rays opted to cut ties with the lefty hitter.
The 11-year veteran has spent time with eight Major League Baseball organizations, including 43 games with the Mets during the 2022 season. Jankowski fulfilled a similar role with the Mets as he did with the Rays, receiving just 63 plate appearances under former Mets manager Buck Showalter.
The Excel Sports Management client and 2023 World Series champion with the Texas Rangers played a career-high 131 games with the San Diego Padres in 2016, batting .245 with a .646 OPS and 30 stolen bases in 42 attempts. Jankowski has never been much of a power hitter, indicated by his 11 home runs in 702 career games.
The Mets have Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, and Tyrone Taylor as their starting outfielders, and Jeff McNeil as their fourth option to fill in wherever needed.
Jankowski’s best route to returning to the Major Leagues this season is an unfortunate injury to one of the four players listed. Still, outfielders Jose Siri (left tibia fracture) and Jesse Winker (right oblique strain) are working their way back from the injured list.
