Nick Morabito: Mets designate Austin Slater after 21 plate appearances
Nick Morabito heads the Mets’ latest outfield shuffle after the club designated Austin Slater for assignment Tuesday morning. Slater’s exit comes after only 21 plate appearances across nine games, a brief stretch that never produced much offense or a clear foothold in New York.
The 32-year-old hit.250/.286/.300 with one RBI, and he did not appear in Monday’s 16-7 win over the Nationals in 12 innings. The move opens another roster spot as the Mets keep cycling through outfield options while trying to settle a mix that has changed repeatedly in recent weeks.
Slater’s short Mets run
Slater arrived last month after the Marlins released him, then spent most of his time in a limited role. He has built his reputation on strong numbers against left-handed pitchers, but that split never translated into much impact with the Mets.
His season line tells the fuller story. Across 21 games with the Mets and Marlins this year, he has hit.209 with a.518 OPS, and his cumulative.602 OPS since the start of the 2024 season reflects how far the bat has dipped from the profile that once made him useful in a specialized role.
That leaves the Mets with one less veteran outfield piece while they continue to sort through alternatives. The roster picture already shifted after Luis Robert Jr.’s injury opened a spot, and the club now has A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge and Juan Soto as starting options, with Tyrone Taylor, Brett Baty and MJ Melendez available as depth.
Mets outfield depth
Slater’s path through the majors helps explain why this move landed quickly. He is in his 10th major league season and has spent time with seven different organizations, with his longest run coming from 2017 to 2024 with the Giants.
Last year, he was acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline and later hit.120/.120/.120 across 25 plate appearances before a hamstring injury interrupted that stint. The Mets had already moved on from Tommy Pham after his limited run, and Slater was supposed to fill a similar lane; instead, the club now turns back to an outfield mix built around younger names and deeper bench coverage.
New York has won six of its last seven games, including Monday’s extra-inning rout, and was scheduled to face the Nationals again Tuesday in the second game of a four-game road series. For Slater, the assignment means another reset after a brief stop; for the Mets, it is another attempt to find the right outfield combination before the lineup settles on a more permanent shape.
