Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
Austin Bossart is the first, and possibly only, player on the NRI list I was surprised to see get a NRI only because a reasonably ran organization would never extend him one with his current stats / other players at his position already getting an NRI. But those organizations probably wouldn’t trade a starting pitcher doing fairly well for him either so there’s that.
Last year the Mets acquired Austin Bossart for Jason Vargas in a trade with the Phillies. For one season in college, he was teammates with Bradley Wilpon, the son of Jeff Wilpon. You can take that for what it’s worth. If you are trying to figure out why the Mets acquired Bossart, he was one of the highest ranked defensive catchers but has really, really struggled at hitting.
When the Mets acquired him last year,he was hitting .195/.303/.335 at Reading despite being almost a full year above the average age at that level (in 63 games, 236 PA, 200 AB). He hit just about the same with Binghamton over 70 PA, 60 AB with a .200/.300/.300 slash line. Overall in 1009 PA’s across 5 minor league seasons he has hit .257/.318/.370.
It’s just difficult to see where he fits in right now. Rene Rivera is the NRI pick to eventually fight back onto the roster, David Rodriguez and Patrick Mazeika are next inline fighting to make it to the majors and Ali Sanchez is the defensive catcher prospect (plus Francisco Alvarez as the actual catching prospect). Bossart has to force himself as a better option than the veteran Rivera, more appealing than a roll of a dice with Rodriguez and Mazeika.
Giving him an NRI doesn’t cost the Mets anything. Maybe it’s to get him more practice catching the starters in camp also on NRI’s? This move is just an overall head scratcher for me.
