The Mets have released outfielder Jared Oliva, according to his transactions page at MLB.com. That indicates that Oliva went unclaimed on waivers and elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment. He is now a free agent and able to sign with any club, which will likely come on a minor league deal.
Oliva was initially claimed by the Mets on June 23rd following his designation by the Giants. New York then optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Oliva only got into four games there, recording three singles in 17 plate appearances, although he showed off his speed by stealing four bases. Adding in his time at Triple-A with the Giants, Oliva is batting .232/.289/.290 over 77 plate appearances in the minors this year. He broke camp with San Francisco and appeared in seven big league games early in the season before going on the injured list with a left wrist hamate fracture. He did not appear in the Majors with the Mets, and the team designated him for assignment on Thursday.
Oliva, now 30, was a seventh-round pick by the Pirates in 2017 and debuted with them in 2020. That said, he has a wRC+ of 8 in just 66 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, with 59 of those coming with Pittsburgh from 2020-21. He did not appear in the Majors from 2022-25, instead bouncing around on minor league deals. Oliva put up decent numbers with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate last year. In 398 plate appearances, he stole 57 bases and batted .252/.335/.413 with a 102 wRC+. He’s stolen 120 bases in just over 1,000 plate appearances in the upper minors dating back to 2023.
Despite his speed and production at Triple-A, Oliva hasn’t been able to earn meaningful big league playing time. Evidently, the Mets didn’t feel Oliva was worth keeping around, so he now heads to the open market in search of a new opportunity. Clubs with a need for right-handed bats and outfield defense could view him as a low-risk depth option. Oliva also comes with roster flexibility, having one option year remaining beyond this season.
