Mets beef up their defense by signing Adeiny Hechavarria to a Minors deal

Brodie Van Wagenen has been adamant that the Mets will have a full roster, regardless of the price of talent out there. The GM of the team has added a consistent defensive commodity to the roster, signing Adeiny Hechavarria to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Since being traded by the Blue Jays to the Marlins after the 2012 season, Hechavarria has a .254 average with 28 home runs, 238 RBIs and 101 doubles in 811 games. Last season, the 29-year-old played in 94 games for the Rays, Pirates and Yankees. He hit a combined .247/,279/.345 with six home runs and two stolen bases in 94 games in 2018.

“It’s been a priority,” stated Brodie after the signing. “From the onset, we wanted to create depth and versatility at a variety of positions. The shortstop position in particular was one that we felt like we wanted to continue to create options. Rosario is a premium guy. He’s young. He’s improving every day. And the goal was to make sure we could surround him with not only support to get better, but also some protection.”

One of the more important aspects of Hechavarria’s game is his defensive capability. A savior for the Marlins, he has 26 defensive runs saved, the sixth-most among shortstops from 2015-2018, according to FanGraphs.

While there is no clear indication he will make the Opening Day roster, Hechavarria is insurance just in case Amed Rosario or Jed Lowrie falls ill or suffers an injury. While the Mets have plenty of backup plans, a talent like Hechavarria would be tough to pass up.