The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have traded outfielder Mark Payton to the New York Mets for cash. That’s a strange way of saying that they sold his rights and contract, but hey – I don’t make the rules.
Mark Payton was designated for assignment on Monday. Rather than taking the chance that he would be picked up by another team on the waiver wire the New York Mets decided he would be worth acquiring via trade.
Payton has had limited exposure in the big leagues. Over the last two seasons he’s had just 44 plate appearances and mostly they’ve come as a pinch hitter.