Mets Reinstate A.J. Minter From 60-Day IL, Select Eric Wagaman
5:05pm: The Mets announced that outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man spot. He originally landed on the IL in late April due to lumbar disc herniation. He is now ineligible to return until late June. His current status is unknown. As of a couple of weeks ago, manager Carlos Mendoza said Robert wasn’t progressing as hoped, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
1:50pm: The Mets announced that they have reinstated left-hander A.J. Minter from the 60-day injured list. Additionally, infielder/outfielder Jared Young has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list and infielder Eric Wagaman has been selected to the roster. In corresponding active roster moves, outfielder Tyrone Taylor has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right hip flexor strain, while right-hander Jonathan Pintaro and outfielder Nick Morabito have been optioned. In terms of 40-man spots for Minter and Wagaman, the Mets had one vacancy. They said a corresponding move to open another spot will be announced prior to game time. Tim Britton and Will Sammon of Athletic reported most of these moves prior to the official announcement.
Minter and the Mets agreed to a two-year, $22MM deal going into the 2025 season. They haven’t been able to get much return on that investment yet. Minter tossed 11 innings last year before a lat strain sent him to the IL and ultimately required season-ending surgery. Here in 2026, he and the Mets started his spring ramp-up a bit behind the other pitchers. He started the season on IL but was able to start a rehab assignment in April. Unfortunately, some left hip discomfort slowed him down, which got him moved to the 60-day IL.
Ideally, Minter can now finally give the Mets an extended stretch of health and good results. Prior to this injury odyssey, he was quite an effective reliever for a division rival. From 2020 to 2024, he posted a 2.85 earned run average over 243 innings for Atlanta, striking out 30.1% of batters faced in that time. But he’s been injured for most of the past two years, actually dating back to before the Mets signed him, as he dealt with hip issues in 2024 and required surgery that summer.
Brooks Raley has been the club’s primary lefty reliever this season. Sean Manaea is also in the bullpen but is mostly working as a bulk reliever. Minter and Raley should be the primary options for situations where a traditional lefty reliever is wanted.
The Mets have been out to a rough start, with a 22-32 record, putting them 7.5 games back of a playoff spot. If they can’t climb in the standings, they could go into the deadline as sellers. Minter and Raley are impending free agents, so both would be natural trade candidates if that’s the way things go.
Wagaman was claimed by the Mets last month and optioned to the minors. Not long after that, he was put on waivers and cleared. He has put up a massive .372/.462/.581 line in 13 games for Syracuse since that claim. Now he gets back onto a 40-man roster.
While it’s nice that Wagaman has been crushing the ball, some caveats apply. For one thing, that line came in a small sample of 52 plate appearances. For another, he had a huge .424 batting average on balls in play in that time. Furthermore, Wagaman has often put up good minor league numbers. From 2022 to 2024, he had a .276/.348/.473 line and 131 wRC+ in 897 plate appearances on the farm.
That has led to major league opportunities that he hasn’t been able to capitalize on. He has a .250/.293/.381 line and 85 wRC+ in 588 trips to the plate in the big leagues. The Marlins designated him for assignment in the winter and traded him to the Twins. Minnesota kept him in the minors to start the year and designated him for assignment a month into the season, which is when the Mets claimed him.
Wagaman has experience at the four corner spots, though the Mets have only been using him as a first baseman and designated hitter for Syracuse. The Mets are getting subpar results from Mark Vientos at first base this year. With Jorge Polanco on the IL, a lot of DH at-bats have gone to MJ Melendez. Though Melendez was red hot when the Mets first called him up, he has a .119/.288/.167 line since the calendar flipped to May.
In the outfield, Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Morabito and Taylor have been splitting the work out there. Now that Morabito and Taylor are out, Young will jump in and perhaps Wagaman could get some time in the outfield as well.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images
Craig Kimbrel Elects Free Agency
Craig Kimbrel has elected free agency, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The Mets designated the right-hander for assignment last week, and he passed through outright waivers unclaimed. The nine-time All-Star is now free to look to continue his career elsewhere.
Kimbrel will turn 38 later this week, and he no longer has the dominant strikeout stuff he once possessed. His fastball, which used to touch triple digits, now averages 93.6 mph. His curveball doesn’t miss bats the way it did for so many years. While he has diversified his arsenal to try to compensate, there’s no denying that his best days are behind him. Nonetheless, he has shown a clear desire to prolong his career. Since being released by the Orioles in September 2024, he has signed deals with the Braves, Rangers, Astros, and Mets. He hasn’t been afraid to pitch in the minor leagues if it means another shot to prove he’s still worthy of the majors.
To Kimbrel’s credit, he has never stopped showing signs of promise, even if there have been more downs than ups the past few years. Despite his 5.33 ERA in 2024 and his 6.00 ERA this year with the Mets, he owns a 4.28 xERA and a 3.51 SIERA over the last three seasons, thanks to solid strikeout numbers and a continued ability to suppress hard contact. Although his present-day arsenal might look disappointing compared to his vintage self, he still has better stuff than most pitchers you’ll find in Triple-A. So, while Kimbrel might never have another chance to add to his career saves total (440, fifth all-time), he should be able to find another club willing to give him a chance on a minor league contract.
Austin Slater Elects Free Agency
Outfielder Austin Slater has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The Mets had sent him outright to Triple-A Syracuse a few days ago but he has exercised his right to reject that assignment and head to the open market instead.
If a player has at least five years of big league service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment while also keeping his salary commitments in tact. The Marlins signed Slater in late March, after the Tigers had granted him his release from a minor league contract. The Miami deal was a major league pact with a $1MM salary. The Fish cut bait less than a month into the season, designating Slater for assignment. He cleared waivers and elected free agency.
The Fish remain on the hook for the remainder of that salary. Other teams can sign Slater and only pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Marlins pay. The Mets stepped up to volunteer for that opportunity but they also bumped Slater off their roster after less than a month. Between the two clubs, he has a rough .209/.286/.233 line on the year.
Other clubs may still be interested in him based on his track record. Slater has a decent floor from his speed and defense. In over 3,000 outfield innings in his big league career, spread across all three spots on the grass, he’s been credited with six Outs Above Average. On the whole, Defensive Runs Saved has him just a hair below average, but mostly due to that metric considering him subpar in center. He has five DRS in right field and four in left, with over 1,000 innings in each corner. Though he’s now 33 years old, Statcast still pegs his sprint speed in the 66th percentile of qualified big leaguers this year.
Offensively, Slater has been around league average in his career, but with caveats. A right-handed bat, he has done most of his damage against lefties. He has a .263/.352/.420 line and 115 wRC+ with the platoon advantage in his career but a .228/.313/.331 line and 81 wRC+ in the other half of the split. He has also seen his overall production decline lately. From 2020 to 2023, he slashed .259/.352/.421 for a 117 wRC+, regardless of pitcher handedness. Since then, he has a .212/.298/.304 line and 74 wRC+.
Despite the declining numbers, there is some lingering interest. The Yankees liked him enough to trade for him at last year’s deadline. He had to settle for a minor league deal in the winter but looked good in spring, hitting .267/.389/.467, and quickly got himself a big league pact. He hasn’t been able to carry that over into the season but his résumé should still be enough to at least get him a minor league deal somewhere, if not a major league one.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Outrighted To Triple-A: Slater, Blach, Brooks
Catching up on some players recently designated for assignment…
- The Mets outrighted outfielder Austin Slater to Triple-A Syracuse, as per Slater’s MLB.com profile page. There isn’t yet any word on whether or not Slater will accept the assignment, as Slater has the ability to elect free agency rather than report to Triple-A and remain in the Mets organization. Since he has more than five years of MLB service time, Slater can become a free agent while still keeping the $1MM he is guaranteed in 2026, as per the terms of the contract he signed with the Marlins just before the season began. Over 49 combined PA with Miami and New York, Slater has hit only .209/.286/.233 with just one extra-base hit.
- Ty Blach cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Cubs‘ Triple-A Iowa affiliate, according to the left-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Chicago selected Blach’s contract to the active roster last weekend but DFA’ed him two days later, after Blach tossed three shutout innings of relief work in the Cubs’ 9-3 loss to the Brewers on Monday. That cup of coffee represented Blach’s first bit of MLB work since 2024, and he now has the option of rejecting the outright assignment in favor of free agency or returning to Iowa. Given the ongoing injury woes on the Cubs’ pitching staff, Blach might prefer to stay put, as another call to the majors might come sooner rather than later.
- Aaron Brooks pitched for Triple-A Durham yesterday, indicating that the right-hander accepted his outright assignment to the Rays‘ top affiliate. Brooks was outrighted last Sunday and he had the ability to elect free agency, but it looks like the righty has opted to stay in Tampa’s organization. Like Blach, Brooks was also making his first MLB appearance since 2024 in his own one-game cameo back in the Show, though Brooks’ lone outing was much rockier. He was charged with three earned runs in one-third of an inning of work in the Rays’ 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays on May 13.
Mets Designate Craig Kimbrel For Assignment, Recall Jonah Tong
The Mets announced that they have recalled right-hander Jonah Tong from Triple-A Syracuse. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Craig Kimbrel has been designated for assignment.
Kimbrel, 38 next week, is one of the best closers of this generation but has been more of a fringe reliever in recent years. He had to settle for a minor league deal with the Mets coming into 2026, though one that would pay him $2.5MM if he had his contract selected. He was added to the roster a couple of weeks into the season. He has tossed 15 innings for the Mets since then but has allowed 10 earned runs for a flat earned run average of 6.00.
That probably overstates how poorly he has pitched this year. His 23.4% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate are both right around league average. His .325 batting average on balls in play and 56.2% strand rate are both to the unfortunate side, as is his 15.8% home run to fly ball ratio. Measures like his 4.90 FIP and 3.76 SIERA suggest he has deserved better in that relatively small sample.
Regardless of what he deserved, the results were enough for the Mets to move on. The club has seemingly been leaning into a youth movement of sorts lately. In the past month or so, they have let go of veteran guys like Tommy Pham, Andy Ibáñez and Austin Slater while calling up A.J. Ewing, Nick Morabito, Zach Thornton and now Tong.
Kimbrel will head into DFA limbo. The Mets could explore trade interest but it may be hard to line up a deal for a pitcher in his late 30s with an ERA of 6.00 who is making a few million, no matter the track record. It is perhaps more likely that he is placed on waivers and clears, leaving the Mets on the hook for the remainder of the money.
If that comes to pass, clubs would then become more interested. They would then be able to sign Kimbrel and would only owe him the prorated portion of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. Though his ERA is high, as mentioned, some of the underlying numbers are a bit more encouraging. Between that and his career track record, perhaps some club would take a shot when the cost is so low.
As for Tong, it’s unclear what role he will play on the club. He has been starting in Triple-A this year but has a 5.68 ERA. The big league rotation just lost Clay Holmes to the injured list. A fractured fibula is going to keep him out for a few months. Tobias Myers is starting today. He has starting experience but hasn’t had an outing of longer than two innings in the past three weeks, so he surely won’t be going deep into the game. Sean Manaea is capable of working long relief but Tong could give the Mets another option in that department.
This may just be a spot start for Myers or he could perhaps earn a longer look in the rotation. Four spots are currently taken by Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and David Peterson. Thornton came up and made his debut this week but allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Peterson has an ERA north of 5.00 and may not be guaranteed anything going forward.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners calling up Colt Emerson (3:40)
- The Blue Jays losing José Berríos to surgery and trading Eric Lauer (10:50)
- The Dodgers losing Blake Snell to surgery (17:05)
- The Mets losing Francisco Alvarez to surgery and Clay Holmes to a fibula fracture (21:00)
- The Astros losing Jose Altuve to an oblique strain (31:35)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Which teams have been the biggest positive surprises so far this season? (43:00)
- With the Dodgers having a lot of outfield prospects and trending towards a surplus, do they put together a trade or hold and develop them? (54:10)
Check out our past episodes!
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
- The Alex Cora Situation, Lucas Giolito Signs, And The Phillies Fire Rob Thomson – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Bo Bichette’s Slow Start
Mets infielder Bo Bichette had zero extra-base hits in May entering this week. He popped a home run and a double on Monday against the Nationals, then followed it up with a two-homer game on Tuesday. Bichette came into the series against Washington with just two long balls this season. He’s more than doubled that mark in two games, while also pushing his OPS above .600 for the first time since May 1.
The move to Queens hasn’t gone as planned for Bichette after the Mets inked him to a hefty three-year, $126MM deal. The veteran had the ninth-lowest wRC+ among qualified hitters before Monday’s big night. He’s slashed .224/.277/.332 through 48 games. Those numbers looked eerily similar to Bichette’s 2024 campaign (.225/.277/.322), a year ruined by multiple injuries. The 28-year-old got back on track in 2025, a well-timed rebound ahead of his first crack at free agency. He’s slipped back into concerning habits this year.
Bichette’s approach has never been geared toward power. He makes hard contact, but sprays the ball to all fields and prioritizes line drives over fly balls. Even when Bichette was regularly reaching 20 home runs, he was doing it with a ground ball rate near 50% and a pulled air rate in the low teens. It’s an elite batting average profile, and league-leading hit collection is the main reason Bichette has been worth at least 3.5 wins (per Baseball Reference) in four of the previous five seasons.
The batted ball distribution this season is concerning, even for Bichette. His groundball rate is up to a career-high 51.2%. He’s pulling the ball in the air just 6.9% of the time, nearly half of his career norm (12%). Bichette is hitting line drives on just 23.1% of batted balls, which is below league average. Even in his difficult 2024 season, he hit line drives at a more than 30% clip.
Bichette has also taken a step back in terms of contact quality. He’s posted a 43.8% hard-hit rate, a 5% decline from 2025. He’s barreling the ball at a 5.6% rate, more than 3% below his career average. The only year Bichette has had a barrel rate below league average was 2024, when he stumbled to a 4.5% mark. Bichette still ranks in the 64th percentile for hard-hit rate. He’s in the 80th percentile for xBA at .280. For his profile to work, though, he’ll likely need to be closer to the league leaders in those categories. Bichette was in the 98th percentile with a .298 xBA in 2025. He finished second in the AL batting title race, behind only Aaron Judge.
The expectations of a significant contract, plus joining a new team, can weigh on a player. There’s also the New York factor. But if Bichette is pressing, the plate discipline doesn’t show it. He’s striking out just 16.3% of the time. His chase rate (38.1%) is up a bit from last season, but it’s more or less in line with his career mark of 36.8%. Bichette’s 7.3% swinging-strike rate is a career low. He’s making contact on pitches outside of the zone more than ever, which could explain some of the decline in contact quality. He might be better off swinging and missing a bit more often.
The most surprising aspect of Bichette’s stat line is the defense. The Mets signed him to play third base after he graded out as one of the worst shortstops in the league during his final year in Toronto. Injuries to Francisco Lindor and Ronny Mauricio forced Bichette back to shortstop, and he’s played fine there. He’s been neutral in terms of both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average at the position. Bichette’s recorded -1 DRS and +1 OAA at third base. Unremarkable numbers with the glove are a huge improvement for Bichette, and likely part of the reason he’s performed at replacement level (-0.1 bRef WAR) despite the poor offensive contributions.
Like most hitters, Bichette has had tough months at the plate, even during strong seasons. He had a .687 OPS in June last year. His groundball rate jumped over 52% during that stretch. Bichette then turned around and hit .357 with 12 doubles and 18 RBI in July. There’s plenty of time for him to get back on track at the plate. And getting passable defense at multiple spots is a big win for the Mets, even if it’s not worth $42MM a year.
Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images
Mets Select Zach Thornton
May 20th: Thornton has now been officially selected, per a team announcement. Right-hander Daniel Duarte was optioned as the corresponding active roster move. They opened a 40-man spot yesterday when they designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment and recalled Nick Morabito.
May 18th: The Mets are going to promote pitching prospect Zach Thornton this week. Manager Carlos Mendoza informed reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that Thornton will play some kind of role for the Mets on Wednesday. That could be as a starter or working as a bulk guy behind an opener. Thornton is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Mets will have to make room for him somehow.
Thornton, now 24, was a fifth-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He put himself on the prospect map with a strong 2025 season. He only made 14 starts before an oblique injury ended his season, but the numbers were good. Between High-A and Double-A, he tossed 72 2/3 innings, allowing 1.98 earned runs per nine. He struck out 28.5% of batters faced and only walked 4% of opponents. He also induced grounders on 43.2% of balls in play.
Coming into 2026, Baseball America ranked him the #13 prospect in the system and FanGraphs had him 12th. He doesn’t have huge velocity, averaging just 91 miles per hour with his fastball these days, but both BA and FG highlight his excellent command. FG also highlights his vertical slot and his ability to hide the ball as part of his delivery. His full arsenal includes a four-seamer, sinker, slider, cutter, curveball and changeup.
He has continued to post good numbers this year, with five Double-A starts and two at Triple-A. Combined, he has thrown 37 innings with a 3.16 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 44.4% ground ball rate. BA bumped him up to #10 in the system in today’s update.
The Mets are dipping into their depth due to the recent injury to Clay Holmes, who fractured his right fibula and might be sidelined into August. Christian Scott is starting tonight and Nolan McLean tomorrow. Wednesday would have been Holmes’s turn. The Mets have some long relief options on the roster, although Sean Manaea just tossed four innings behind Freddy Peralta yesterday. Tobias Myers has starting experience but hasn’t tossed more than three innings in any game this year.
Thornton will at least get a spot start. What remains to be seen is if he’ll get sent back to the minors after that or if he’ll stick around. For the next turn, they could put Manaea or Myers into the Holmes spot. They could also turn to someone else on the farm, such as Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger or Jonathan Pintaro.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
2026-27 Club Options: NL East
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL East, where a former MVP and Cy Young winner are the most notable names.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West
Atlanta Braves
- Ronald Acuña Jr., RF: $17MM club option ($10MM buyout)
This is as easy as they get. The Braves will exercise their $17MM option for 2027 and have a matching provision for the ’28 season. The first comes with a $10MM buyout, while the second has no buyout. It’s highly likely the Braves are going to pick them both up anyway, but it could be a moderately closer call for Atlanta after 2027 if Acuña has a bad or injury-riddled year.
The Braves have remarkably raced to the second-best start in MLB despite relatively underwhelming work from the five-time All-Star. Acuña has only connected on two home runs with a .252/.367/.382 slash line through his first 35 games. He missed a couple weeks with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring and returned to the lineup yesterday.
- Ozzie Albies, 2B: $7MM club option (no buyout)
Albies agreed to a pair of $7MM team options on his exceedingly club-friendly 2019 extension. He signed away up to four free agent years for a $35MM guarantee that’d max out at $45MM if the Braves exercised the options — the first of which contained a $4MM buyout.
For a few years, it was among the biggest bargain contracts in the league. A pair of down seasons in 2024-25 reduced the surplus value somewhat, though Atlanta still had an easy call to exercise the first option last winter. Picking up the second should require even less deliberation.
Albies has rebounded to hit .271/.329/.441 and is third among second basemen with eight home runs. The NL second base field is crowded, but Albies is putting together a strong case for his fourth All-Star selection while playing on a salary just above what Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Miguel Rojas commanded as free agents.
- Tyler Kinley, RHP: $5.5MM club option ($1.25MM buyout)
Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies last summer. He pitched brilliantly down the stretch, but they nevertheless declined his $5.5MM option for 2026 in favor of a $750K buyout. They re-signed Kinley two months later on a $4.25MM free agent deal. He’s making $3MM this season and will be paid either a $1.25MM buyout or stick around for next season via $5.5MM team option.
Kinley, a slider specialist, has had a somewhat shaky start this season. His 23% strikeout rate is virtually unchanged from last year, but his walks have ticked up and he has been victimized by the home run ball. Kinley has given up a longball in four of his last eight times out. He’s up to 10 runs allowed (nine earned) across 20 2/3 innings.
The Braves have still used Kinley in a decent number of leverage situations. He’s tied for second on the team behind Dylan Lee with six holds. This one could go either way, but he’ll need to get on track to remain in skipper Walt Weiss’ circle of trust.
Miami Marlins
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP: $21MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Marlins’ deadline will hinge largely on what to do with Alcantara. He’s making $17MM in the final guaranteed season of the $56MM extension he signed in 2021. Alcantara has rebounded from an abysmal first half of the ’25 campaign, as he clearly had trouble dialing in his command when he initially returned from a Tommy John procedure.
Alcantara carries a 3.53 ERA with an above-average 49% grounder rate over his first 10 starts. He has allowed 3.47 earned runs per nine in 23 starts going back to last summer’s All-Star Break. The Cy Young form probably isn’t coming back, but Alcantara would be a lock for a team’s playoff rotation. He’s still sitting in the 97-98 mph range with his four-seamer and sinker, albeit with a slight drop in strikeouts.
Miami’s only guaranteed money for the 2027 season is the $10MM they’ll send to the Yankees on the Giancarlo Stanton contract. None of their arbitration-eligible players would cost more than a few million dollars. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that Alcantara is a favorite of owner Bruce Sherman.
It would take another major injury or an atrocious second half for Alcantara’s option not to get picked up. The bigger question is whether that’ll be by the Marlins. They’re 22-27 and fourth from the bottom in a competitive National League. FanGraphs has their postseason chances below 5%. The prospect return would be higher this summer than it’d be at the 2027 deadline given the extra playoff run they’re marketing to a contender. Will the Fish keep Alcantara as a veteran rotation anchor or shop him as one of the best available arms?
New York Mets
- Luis Robert Jr., CF: $20MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Mets took on Robert’s $20MM salary for the 2026 season in last winter’s trade with the White Sox. They didn’t surrender a whole lot in terms of young talent — Luisangel Acuña’s stock has tumbled over the past couple seasons — but it was still a sizable financial bet on Robert staying healthy and rebounding from two straight subpar offensive years.
Robert hit well for the first two weeks before falling into a slump in the middle of April. He had a .224/.327/.329 slash over 98 plate appearances when he landed on the injured list with lumbar disc inflammation. Initial hopes that it’d be close to a minimal stint haven’t panned out. He’s coming up on a monthlong absence without a clear timeline for when he’ll ramp up baseball activities.
The bet on Robert’s tools and early-career success hasn’t panned out so far. They’ve needed to call upon prospect A.J. Ewing earlier than expected. Ewing has shown a very disciplined approach through his first eight MLB games after an excellent start to the year in Triple-A. It’s too early to simply lock Ewing into the 2027 center field job, but the Mets would be better for it if he nails down the position with a strong rookie season. That’d solidify the increasingly probable chance that Robert gets bought out.
Philadelphia Phillies
- None.
Washington Nationals
- Zack Littell, RHP: $12MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
Washington added Littell on a one-year, $7MM free agent deal. They included a $12MM mutual option that comes with a $4MM buyout. That’s an accounting mechanism that allows them to pay Littell more than half the money at the end of the season rather than throughout the summer in salary. They presumably hoped to shed some of the buyout responsibility by flipping Littell at the deadline, though the backloaded nature meant they’d have needed to cover some of it to find a trade partner.
That’s probably a moot point, as Littell hasn’t pitched well enough to merit much attention. He owns a 6.10 ERA with a career-low 10.6% strikeout rate while giving up 14 home runs in just 41 1/3 innings. He’s the only pitcher with 40+ frames who is allowing a homer once in every three innings pitched. Most of that damage came in April, but Littell has only recorded four strikeouts in 12 1/3 frames this month. If the Nationals didn’t have one of the worst rotations in MLB, they’d probably have given more consideration to moving on from Littell already.
Note: The Nationals hold respective club options on Cade Cavalli ($4MM) and Max Kranick ($850K). Both players would remain eligible for arbitration if Washington declines.
Mets Select Anderson Severino
The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Anderson Severino. He has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, so he will stick with that club, but he is now on the 40-man and will be a candidate to be recalled to the active roster going forward. Pitchers have to wait 15 days after being optioned before they can be recalled, though exceptions are made when someone else hits the injured list or a club needs a 27th man for a doubleheader. Right-hander Clay Holmes was transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move 40-man move. Holmes recently suffered a fibula fracture and is expected to be out of action until August.
The announcement from the Mets said that Severino was optioned after last night’s game, so the Severino/Holmes moves seemingly happened yesterday. The Mets also officially announced today’s earlier-reported outfield moves, with Austin Slater designated for assignment and Nick Morabito recalled. Those moves drop the 40-man count to 39, so the club has an opening for Zach Thornton, who is going to be selected on Wednesday. Thornton will fill the 40-man tomorrow but the Mets will need to make a corresponding active roster move for him.
Severino, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. It’s possible that the pact contained some kind of opt-out or assignment clause. That usually explains why a club would add a player to its 40-man roster and then immediately option him. Giving him a spot prevents him from opting out or getting sent elsewhere, but also doesn’t require the club to immediately call the player up, which would then require a corresponding move. There have also been a few cases where a player has been given a roster spot to prevent him from pursuing an opportunity overseas.
Whatever the reasoning, it’s understandable that the Mets don’t want Severino to get away, as he is out to a hot start. He has thrown 17 1/3 Triple-A innings so far this year, allowing just 1.04 earned runs per nine. His 12.1% walk rate is quite high but he has punched out 27.3% of batters faced and induced grounders on 52.6% of balls in play. His ERA has gotten some help from a .231 batting average on balls in play and 83.3% strand rate but Severino’s 3.00 FIP suggests he would be getting good results even with more neutral luck. His fastball is averaging just over 96 miles per hour and he’s throwing a mid-80s slider almost a third of the time, along with a rarely-used curve.
It’s not the first time Severino has posted good numbers in the minors but he has only received a brief look the majors. His big league track record currently consists of just 7 1/3 innings tossed for the White Sox in 2022.
He is not quite back to the majors just yet but he is now in a good position to return to the show for the first time in four years. The Mets have two lefties in their bullpen at the moment but one of them is long man Sean Manaea, meaning that Brooks Raley is effectively the only proper southpaw reliever. If they want to add another lefty or just need a fresh arm at some point in the future, Severino is now on the 40-man and could get the call.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images