The Mets claimed Kyren Paris off waivers from the Angels on October 29, 2026, and designated Cristian Pache for assignment the same day, a move that reshapes both clubs’ roster math before the season’s next round of cuts. Paris gives the Mets a player with options history now running thin, while the Angels lose an infielder/outfielder they had kept in the picture only briefly.
That is why Anaheim Angels Baseball interest is spiking around Paris now. He turns 25 next month, was a former second-round pick and has already played parts of four big league seasons, but his major league line remains modest:.147/.238/.272 with seven home runs and 11 steals in 263 career plate appearances, along with a 38% strikeout rate. Those numbers explain the risk. They also explain why a team willing to bet on the rest of the profile could see room for a quick turnaround.
The case for Paris is built on what he did away from the majors. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit.274/.384/.458 with 13 home runs and 24 steals, mostly playing the middle infield. That mix of speed and power is what keeps him on roster boards even after a shaky first look in the majors. His final minor league option season has ended, though, which means the Mets cannot treat him as a simple stash and shuffle him around indefinitely.
That limitation is where the story turns. If the Mets want to keep Paris on the roster, they have to build a 40-man spot around him, and they still need three more cuts by Monday evening while also activating Tylor Megill, Jorge Polanco and Reed Garrett from the 60-day injured list. In other words, Paris is not just a claim; he is a roster decision they will have to defend almost immediately. Cristian Pache, by contrast, is out of options after joining the Mets on an offseason minor league deal, then taking a bench job for the final two months after Tyrone Taylor moved at the trade deadline. He started one game in that stretch and went 1-for-8 with four strikeouts, leaving him with a career.181/.242/.273 line over 618 plate appearances.
The Angels also pared back their roster this afternoon by dropping Sebastián Rivero and Sammy Peralta, leaving them down to either 36 or 37 players. They may still choose whether to pick up a $2.5 million option on Robert Stephenson, which keeps one more roster and payroll call in front of them. For Paris, the immediate question is whether the Mets keep him through the offseason waiver process or push him back onto waivers before Opening Day. Given his age, his minor league production and the lack of options left, the next move may matter as much as the claim itself.
