As the New York Mets mull over how much to offer Pete Alonso in free agency, another first baseman with recent National League East experience has officially departed the organization.
Joey Meneses spent the entire season in the minors for the Mets after three years with the division-rival Washington Nationals. He burst onto the scene as a 30-year-old rookie with a 164 OPS+ in 56 games in 2022, but it’s mostly been downhill since then, as he wasn’t deemed worthy of a look at the major league level in New York this year.
After electing free agency on Nov. 6, the day rosters informally changed over from the previous league season to the new one, Meneses has reportedly found his new home on the opposite coast.
According to a Saturday social media post from Francys Romero, an independent baseball journalist who frequently breaks news of Latin-born player signings, Meneses has a minor-league deal with the Athletics in place for the upcoming season. That signing is not yet reflected in Meneses’ official player log on MLB.com.
It was a winding journey for Meneses to make his major league debut with the Nationals, as his professional career included nine years in affiliated ball and a one-year stop in Japan. He started in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2011 and also played in the farm systems of the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox.
As he enters his age-34 season, Meneses knows he’s walking into a situation with limited opportunity at the big-league level. Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz has first base locked up in West Sacramento as long as he’s healthy, and the young and talented A’s also have outfielder Tyler Soderstrom to fill in at first base in case of emergency.
Meanwhile, though the Mets may not know the future at first base, it’s doubtful they would have considered Meneses as a top-three choice to replace Alonso. The Culiacán, Mexico native is approaching a point in his professional career where any brief window of opportunity could be his last.
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