Veteran minor league infielder's 3-year run with the SF Giants ends after signing with Mets

A former SF Giants minor league infielder has quickly found a new home. Donovan Walton has joined the New York Mets on a minor league deal according to the team's transaction log.

Veteran minor league infielder's 3-year run with the SF Giants ends after signing with Mets

Walton actually finished the 2024 season on the Giants' 40-man roster. However, he was outrighted earlier this month and elected free agency rather than accept a minor league assignment. His foray into free agency turned out to be a short one.

The 30-year-old infielder originally joined the Giants in a trade that sent pitching prospect Prelander Berroa to the Seattle Mariners in May of 2022. It was maybe one of four dozen trades between the two teams that month.

It is unknown whether Buster Posey will have the same relationship with the Mariners going forward. However, the Los Angeles Angels could become a natural trade partner with the Giants given that Angels general manager Perry Minasian and new Giants general manager Zack Minasian are brothers.

On the other hand, Walton struggled following the trade that brought him to San Francisco. He tallied 12 hits with one home run and eight RBI in 76 at-bats with the Giants in 2022. Oddly enough, nine of those hits went with extra bases.

The infielder was outrighted off of the 40-man roster at the end of that season. He remained with the organization for the next two years on a pair of minor league deals. It is somewhat rare for players on minor league deals to remain with an organization for more than one year. More often than not, those fringe major leaguers have to find a new organization every year that gives them the best opportunity to play.

The left-handed bat did have a solid season with the Sacramento River Cats in 2024. He slashed .306/.380/.441 (107 wRC+) with seven home runs, 51 RBI, and 53 runs in 387 plate appearances while playing a handful of positions. Plus, he posted a 2.25 ERA in 10 appearances on the mound for the River Cats.

The Giants rewarded Walton with a late-season promotion to the major league roster in a confusing move. He tallied just three hits in 22 at-bats to finish out the year.