Photo by @ZacharyLucy

On Friday the Mets signed minor league veteran Nevin Ashley to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League spring training camp. Nevin made his big league debut in 2015 with the Milwaukee Brewers in September and went 2 for 20 in 12 games. The 31-year old catcher played a majority of the past season in AAA for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox hitting .306/.374/.442 in the Pacific Coast League.

The Mets also announced that they have invited first rounders Gavin Cecchini and Dominic Smith to Major League spring training camp. They also invited catchers Xorge Carrillo and Johnny Monell as well as pitchers Zack Thornton, Paul Sewald, and Chasen Bradford. Power hitting outfielder Travis Taijeron and utility infielder T.J. Rivera are invited to big league camp too.

Ty Kelly, Stolmy Pimentel, Marc Krauss and Jim Henderson also received invites to major league camp when they signed with the Mets on their minor league deals. Duane Below and Buddy Carlyle re-signed with the Mets earlier this offseason and will be at big league camp. Left-hander Andrew Barbosa signed on a minor deal earlier this offseason but will head directly to minor league camp.

The Mets have released minor league infielder Gregory Valencia who played the entire 2015 season with the Kingsport Mets in the Appalachian League. The 22-year old hit .260/.278/.312  with just two walks compared to 17 strikeouts in 22 games. Overall in four seasons in the Mets minor league system he hit .214/.299/.262 with four different teams.

I still expect the Mets to sign some more minor league depth after losing a big group to free agency from the upper minors including Dillon Gee, Tim Stauffer, and Scott Rice.

Minor league free agents that finished the 2015 in the Mets system and are still on the market include Vince Belnome, Edioglis Villasmil, Vic Black, John Church, Darin Gorski, Zach Lutz, Cody Satterwhite, Dan Rohlfing, and Brooks Conrad.