Just days after the Detroit Tigers cut Zack Short loose, the New York Mets claimed the 31-year-old infielder off waivers—reuniting with a glove-first option known for covering shortstop, second base, and third base while offering limited offense.
A second act is already underway for Zack Short.
The New York Mets claimed infielder Zack Short off waivers from the Tigers. just days after Detroit designated him for assignment last week. The roster move sends the former Atlanta Braves infielder back to Queens as the Mets keep searching for reliable depth while injuries push players into unfamiliar roles.
Short’s path in recent years has made him feel less like a stable piece and more like a baseball solution—one team’s problem becomes another team’s insurance policy. He is 31. and while he has struggled to establish himself offensively at the major-league level. his defensive versatility is the part that travels.
He is a glove-first infielder who doesn’t provide much at the plate. That reputation is why teams keep finding roles for him. He has hundreds of innings at shortstop, second base and third base, along with very brief stints in the outfield. Most of it has come at shortstop. with over 900 innings there—precisely the kind of infield profile a club wants when the season starts demanding speed. coverage. and fewer mistakes.
The Mets already know what Short can look like in their system. He played for both the Mets and the Braves in the 2024 season, and he also spent time with the Boston Red Sox. Before his most recent stint with Detroit, he was briefly a member of the Houston Astros.
Detroit’s decision, though, came after a tough offensive stretch. Short hit .167 with a .304 on-base percentage in 23 games for Detroit this season before the Tigers designated him for assignment to make room on their roster. In other words: the bat wasn’t doing enough to justify keeping him.
That is where the Mets’ logic likely fits. They value defensive flexibility. and Short’s ability to play multiple infield positions gives them another option when the lineup picture keeps changing. For a team trying to shake off a disappointing start and navigate key injuries. depth like this doesn’t look flashy—but it can matter in the games that come down to who can hold the middle of the field together.
New York Mets Zack Short Detroit Tigers MLB waivers infielder depth roster injuries shortstop second base third base