The Mets released an outfielder Jared Olivaaccording to his commercial page on MLB.com. That shows that Oliva didn’t want to be waived and chose free agency instead of a direct assignment. He is now a free agent and can sign with any club, possibly on a minor league contract.
Oliva was first claimed by the Mets on June 23 following his selection by the Giants. New York then optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Oliva got into just four games there, recording three singles in 17 games, though he showed his speed by stealing four bases. Adding to his time in Triple-A with the Giants, Oliva is hitting .232/.289/.290 over 77 plate appearances in the minors this year. He broke camp with San Francisco and appeared in seven league games early in the season before going on the disabled list with a broken left wrist. He did not appear in the Majors with the Mets, and the club he chose a share on Thursday.
Oliva, now 30 years old, was selected by the Pirates in the seventh round in 2017 and started out in 2020. That means he has a wRC+ of 8 in 66 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, with 59 of those coming with Pittsburgh starting in 2020-21. He didn’t make an appearance in the Majors from 2022-25, instead pitching on minor league deals. Oliva put up respectable numbers with the Brewers’ Triple-A last year. In 398 plate appearances, he stole 57 bases and hit .252/.335/.413 with a 102 wRC+. He has stolen 120 bases in just over 1,000 plate appearances in the minors since 2023.
Despite his speed and production in Triple-A, Oliva was unable to earn major league playing time. Apparently, the Mets felt Oliva wasn’t worth sticking around, so now he’s headed to the open market in search of a new opportunity. Clubs in need of right-handed bats and outfield defense could consider him a low-risk option. Oliva also brings flexibility to the program, with one year remaining before this season.
