Mets reliever Jerry Blevins was claimed and blocked on waivers by an unknown team, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. The move will prevent the Mets from trading the left-hander this season.
The 33-year-old Blevins drew plenty of interest leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but Mets general manager Sandy Alderson & Co. reportedly weren’t gung-ho on moving him. Indeed, Heyman notes that the Mets are fine with retaining Blevins, who comes with a reasonably priced $7MM club option for 2018.
Blevins is in his third season with the Mets, who re-signed him to a two-year, $12.5MM deal (including the option) last winter. He has posted nearly identical numbers from 2016 to this season and owns a 2.78 ERA with 11.82 K/9 and 3.71 BB/9 over that 77 2/3-inning span, making him one of the game’s top southpaw relievers. Blevins certainly could have helped a playoff contender down the stretch, but he’ll remain with the Mets instead.
Thank god. If everything is to go as planned next year then it is definitely a good idea to keep his $7MM option.
And things always go as planned for the Mets.
I am confused, Couldn’t the team that claimed him still work out a trade for him if both sides wanted?
They could but it doesn’t seem to be their motive. Seems they just claimed him to block another team or to get a lefty reliever if Mets were to just let him and his salary go.
The team that claimed him probably don’t need him and did so to block some team in their division from trading for him.
This. At this point the Mets only have three options: work out a trade with that one team, give him away to that one team, or pull Blevins off waivers.
probably some AL team claimed him to block my Astros from claiming him lol. They would definitely of claimed him and tried to work out a deal. They need pitching help bad at the moment. Especially lefties
He is having a nice year and has an option for next. Any team could have claimed him without the intention of actually trading for him.
My guess he didn’t even get through the NL.
Gonna guess it was the Pirates keeping the Cubs and Brewers from getting bullpen help.
I think it has to be a team that was bad last year but is in the hunt this year. I’m guessing the Mariners but I can’t remember if they were any good last year.
Well the waiver order isn’t based on last year’s record, it’s based on this year’s record.. It’s only based on the previous year’s record during the first few weeks of the season.
And it goes through the league of the original team before going to the second circuit
Mariners were 86-76 last year and in the wild card hunt until the last couple of days
Why? The Bucs could use him!
Indians is the first team that comes to mind
Actually I was thinking Rockies or Diamondbacks, blocking him from getting to LA or any other playoff team.
Dbacks and Rockies could probably use Blevins
Teams usually put most of their players through revocable waivers in August to gauge interest. Or so they can be traded if a sudden demand develops. I doubt there was any intent to trade Blevins here in the same market as the deadline (he’s done his job quite well since he’s been here and the Mets haven’t otherwise had a lefty reliever that can get out lefties). Makes no sense strategically either. Mets traded 2 talented prospects for Ramos so they would have him (replacing Reed), Familia and Blevins in place next year and the Wilpons wouldn’t have to hand out a multi-year FA contract to a reliever .They’d never recover the same level of prospects for Blevins they gave up for Ramos and Blevins might be just as difficult to replace. They overpaid for Ramos (IMO), but it may be worth it if they don’t need to chase core relievers this offseason. Always alot around but the market can be strange and the Mets have other priorities.
bad move by mets, they should have at least tried to trade with the claiming team…
With Warthen as the pitching coach, he should demand a trade
Leave it up to Alderson with his horrible decision making. Why is Alderson still the GM beats me! He just got destroyed by the Indians GM!