The New York Mets on Tuesday acquired veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. Maybin has been assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Maybin, 34, has spent parts of 14 seasons in the majors. Over that span, he's batted .256/.324/.376 (93 OPS+) with 72 home runs and 155 stolen bases. This season, Maybin was off to a 4 for 39 start at Triple-A Iowa prior to the trade. In the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Maybin spent time with the Cubs and Detroit Tigers, and he put up an OPS+ of 89 in 32 total games. It's not certain what level of performance can be expected of Maybin this season, but recently he's been a decent source of OBP against left-handed pitching, and he's still capable of manning the outfield corners and filling in at center in a pinch.
For the Mets, the motivation to add veteran outfield depth is likely a response to recent injuries. Right now, outfielders Michael Conforto (hamstring), Brandon Nimmo (bone bruise), Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder contusion), and Kevin Pillar (facial fractures) are all on the injured list. All of that means the Mets at the moment are looking at a starting outfield of Dominic Smith, Khalil Lee, and Johneshwy Fargas.
Pillar, who suffered nasal fractures after getting hit with a fastball on Monday night, gave an update on Tuesday and said he feels "lucky."
Kevin Pillar: "Despite not looking so good, I feel as close to normal as possible. ... I feel good. I feel lucky." pic.twitter.com/F5xCKZPrm3
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 18, 2021
For Maybin, this marks the eighth time in his career that he's been traded. Should he make his way to Queens at some point, then he'll have played in the majors for 10 different teams.
