The Mets have two outfielders left in camp competing for the final outfield spot on the roster – Ben Gamel and Trayce Thompson. The disadvantage that both outfielders have is that they are not on the 40-man roster yet.
Ben Gamel has been in the game for a while. He was drafted by the Yankees in 2010 and made his major league debut back in 2016. He was traded at the end of August in 2016 to the Mariners who traded him to the Brewers in 2018. This is where you probably know him from. After that he spent time with Cleveland, Pittsburg and most recently the Padres.
Gamel saw consistent playing time from 2017 to 2022 with his OPS+ ranging from 85 to 106. He had an OPS+ of 100 or slightly more three times over those five years. He’s a solid, average level player, which is what a lot of baseball teams need.
Last year he just couldn’t latch on to a team, despite hitting in the minors. Across the Rays and Padres system he hit .286/.402/.498 in AAA. In his cup of coffee with the Padres he had only three hits in 15 trips to the plate. He’s not exactly lighting it up this year in Mets camp either going 3-for-15 with a double and a walk while striking out six times.
It is difficult right now to see how Gamel fits with the Mets major league squad. Similar to what we said yesterday about Taylor Kohlwey, the Mets tend to dip into their reserves a lot and some how found time for Rafael Ortega to play 47 games last season. If Gamel stays with the Mets organization after camp breaks, he will probably, eventually find his way for at least a few at bats with the Mets this year.
