Mets bring in Jennings for outfield depth

On Wednesday, the New York Mets agreed to terms with outfielder Desmond Jennings on a minor league contract. Jennings, 30, was released by the Cincinnati Reds on March 31 following a poor Spring Training performance. 

Jennings (pictured) hit .200/.281/.350 in 65 games with TBR in 2016

Once regarded as the sixth best prospect in the game by Baseball America (2009 preseason edition), Jennings had struggled to make a name for himself in the big leagues. In seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, he hit a combined .245/.322/.393 with 55 HR and 191 RBI. Jennings' best season came in 2012, where he hit .246/.314/.388 with 13 HR and 31 SB in 132 games. 

Due to the emergence of Kevin Kiermaier, the Rays shifted Jennings to left field in 2016, so it is unclear if he is still a reliable option in center. The veteran will report directly to Triple-A Las Vegas and serve as right-handed hitting outfield depth behind the injured Juan Lagares. 

As a minor league signing, Jennings comes to the Mets with a very low risk factor. While it is unlikely that he finally fulfills the high expectations that Tampa Bay gave him, the Boras client could certainly see some time with the big league club at some point in the year.