The Mets are designating Jose Siri for assignment, the team announced Wednesday.
Jose Siri. Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
This move is being made in conjunction with the team activating Tyrone Taylor from the injured list.
It was a lost year for Siri, who made just 36 plate appearances in a Met uniform. Siri suffered a fractured left tibia after fouling a ball off his shin against the Athletics on April 12. He returned to the lineup earlier this month but was unable to provide any stability to the starting center field spot. Siri slashed .063/.167/.125, striking out in more than half of his at-bats, and did not provide the quality level of defense that was expected of him.
Nevertheless, it is somewhat of a surprise move for New York, considering they had Siri under control for the next two seasons. The team could have opted to DFA Cedric Mullins for what might only be five more games as a Met, or sent down Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña, and kept control of all their players.
The move to DFA Siri also puts the final stamp on one of the uglier trades of the David Stearns era. The Mets acquired what was expected to be three years of Siri for Eric Orze, who has provided solid work in the bullpen for the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching to a 3.02 ERA in 33 outings this year, and is under control through 2030.
It remains to be seen how Siri’s spot will be filled in this upcoming off-season, but with the majority of the position-player part of the roster already accounted for, this gives David Stearns and the rest of his team another roster spot to play with.
