Mets Sign Cam Robinson To Minor League Deal

The Mets announced Thursday that they’ve signed righty reliever Cam Robinson to a minor league deal and invited him to big league camp this spring. The team also confirmed its previously reported signing of outfielder Trayce Thompson to a similar non-roster deal with a spring training invite.

The fit with Robinson and the Mets is a natural one, as he’s spent his entire career to date with the Brewers. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was running baseball ops in Milwaukee when Robinson was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2017 draft, and Robinson ranked as high as 24th among Brewers prospects earlier this season, per Baseball America.

Robinson soared through three minor league levels in 2022, finishing that season with a 2.49 ERA, 25 saves, a 31.6% strikeout rate and a less palatable 11.8% walk rate in 65 innings between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Things didn’t go nearly as well in 2023, when Robinson was tagged for a 5.33 earned run average in 50 2/3 frames between the Brewers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Robinson’s strikeout rate plummeted to 23%, while his already problematic walk rate climbed to an even more troubling 15.4%.

Lackluster ’23 output notwithstanding, Robinson posted strong run-prevention and strikeout numbers from 2021-22. Baseball America’s scouting report on him notes that his heater typically sits 93-95mph range, topping out at 97 mph. He pairs that with a high-spin curveball and occasional slider. Command troubles have long been an issue for Robinson, but solid velocity, a plus curveball and a track record of missing bats make him a decent depth flier on a minor league contract.