The New York Mets signed infielder Jared Young to a one-year contract on Monday, strengthening their depth at first base after Pete Alonso, the team’s star slugger, became a free agent this fall.
Young has a career batting average of .210, with two home runs, eight RBIs, and a .725 OPS across 22 major league games and 69 plate appearances with the Chicago Cubs in 2022 and 2023.
He was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals in November 2023 and played at Triple-A Memphis, where he posted a .285 average, 11 home runs, and a .917 OPS. However, he was released by the Cardinals in July.
Afterward, Young played 38 games for the Doosan Bears in Korea, hitting .326 with 10 home runs, 39 RBIs, and a 1.080 OPS.
A left-handed batter, the 29-year-old Young is a Canadian native and was drafted by the Cubs in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft from Old Dominion University in Virginia. All 12 of his major league starts have been at first base, although he has played every position in the minors except catcher and center field.
