Czech international Martin Cervenka has been named to the roster of the New York Mets’ Triple-A affiliate Syracuse Mets to start the 2021 Minor League Baseball season.
The 28-year-old catcher signed a Minor League contract with the Mets in late March, a few days before the opening of Minor League Spring Training, and he now finds himself fighting for playing time alongside the 25-year-old Dominican Deivy Grullon, who has limited Major League experience (five games, 2-for-12) and is on the Mets’ 40-man roster, and Bruce Maxwell, who has played parts of three MLB seasons with the Oakland A’s (127 games, .240/.314/.347). Maxwell spent the 2019 season playing in Mexico.
Cervenka has considerable Minor League experience, with 545 games under his belt, but he has appeared in just 12 games at the Triple-A level. He made a late season debut with the Norfolk Tides in 2019 while part of the Orioles organization, impressing in a small sample (43 ABs, .372/.438/.442).
The Triple-A Mets start the 2021 campaign at home tonight against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.