The New York Mets used an off day Thursday to shuffle their 40-man roster, claiming a pitcher and immediately designating a catcher they had added only a month earlier.
The club announced it had claimed right-hander Cameron Weston off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. To open a roster spot, New York designated catcher Shawn Ross for assignment.
“The Mets announced that they have claimed right-hander Cameron Weston off waivers from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Baltimore had designated him for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot for him today, the Mets have designated catcher Shawn Ross for assignment,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald wrote.
The Mets had just finished a series against the Tampa Bay Rays and will open a weekend set Friday against the San Francisco Giants. Roster work does not pause just because the team is not playing.
Ross, 26, arrived in the organization Aug. 2 when the Mets claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York optioned him that same day to Syracuse and he never appeared in a big-league game for the Mets.
Pittsburgh had called Ross up in late July and he made his major league debut July 25 against the Chicago Cubs. He played two games and finished 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, two strikeouts and two RBI.
That homer came in his second game, July 26, also against the Cubs at PNC Park. It was his first career hit and first career home run. The other four plate appearances produced outs.
Ross is a right-handed hitter and thrower who stands 6-foot and weighs 215 pounds. He was born Sept. 30, 1999, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and attended Clarendon Junior College in Texas.
Before the Mets claimed him, the Pirates had designated him for assignment after using him as an emergency catcher during an injury stretch. He had spent four seasons in Pittsburgh’s farm system after signing as a free agent.
While listed as a catcher, Ross also saw time at first base, third base and other spots in the minors. Scouts have noted raw power when he makes contact, though strikeouts have been a long-running issue in the minors.
Weston, also 26, made a brief major league appearance with Baltimore this season, throwing one scoreless inning. The Orioles designated him for assignment earlier this week amid a cluster of September roster moves.
By claiming Weston and sending him to Syracuse, the Mets added another arm to their Triple-A depth without using an active-roster spot right away. Ross now has a short window in which another team can claim him or the Mets can try to outright him to the minors.
The Mets sit well out of contention in the National League East. Moves like this one are typical for clubs looking at next year’s 40-man picture and trying to stash useful pieces at Triple-A.
Ross’s time with New York lasted barely a month and never reached Citi Field. Whether another organization takes a chance on the versatile catcher remains to be seen as waiver claims play out.
Thursday’s transactions were quiet compared with midseason trades, but they still changed two players’ immediate futures. Weston heads to Syracuse. Ross waits to learn if he will stay in the Mets system or move on again.
