The New York Mets added organizational depth this week, by claiming infielder/outfielder Kyren Paris off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, according to the official MLB transaction log.
To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, New York designated outfielder Cristian Pache for assignment.
Paris, who turns 25 on November 11, was selected by the Angels in the second round (55th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Freedom High School in Oakley, California.
He signed for a reported $1.4 million bonus and made his major-league debut in September 2023.
Over parts of four seasons with Los Angeles, the right-handed hitter has posted a .147/.238/.272 slash line with seven home runs and 11 stolen bases in 263 plate appearances across 88 games.
His strikeout rate has hovered near 38 percent, limiting his big-league impact despite flashes of power and speed.
In 2026, Paris appeared in only eight games for the Angels, going 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts before a right index finger fracture landed him on the injured list.
He spent the bulk of the year in the minors, where he produced at a higher level. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .274/.384/.458 with 13 home runs and 24 stolen bases.
Paris’ strongest stretch came in 62 games at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he slashed .307/.427/.554 with a .981 OPS, 13 homers, and 16 steals.
Those numbers marked a clear step forward from earlier minor-league seasons and highlighted the tools that once ranked him as high as the Angels’ No. 4 prospect.
Primarily a middle infielder (second base and shortstop) with experience across all three outfield spots, Paris offers the kind of positional versatility that appeals to a front office building depth.
He is in his final minor-league option year, meaning the Mets will need to either carry him on the Opening Day roster or risk placing him back on waivers.
For a club under president of baseball operations David Stearns, the claim represents a low-risk, tools-based addition: an athletic player with raw power and baserunning value who has yet to translate those skills consistently at the major-league level.
Whether Paris carves out a bench role in Queens or remains organizational depth will depend on his ability to make contact and carry the improved plate approach he showed in the upper minors.
For now, the transaction gives him a fresh opportunity after four seasons with the Angels.
