The Mets have re-claimed left-hander P.J. Conlon off waivers from the Dodgers and designated infielder Phillip Evans for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the team announced to reporters following this afternoon’s game (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Conlon has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Conlon’s time with the Dodgers, clearly, will prove to be abbreviated. Los Angeles only claimed him off waivers from the Mets last week, and the southpaw had yet to even pitch in a game with his new organization before being placed back on waivers. It’s nothing new for the Dodgers to claim a player and then try to run him through waivers themselves as a means of keeping him in the organization without committing a 40-man roster spot. It’s a move they’ve had a fair amount of success with in past seasons, though the Mets clearly didn’t see fit to let Conlon get away and seized the opportunity to reclaim the depth they lost last week.
Conlon, 24, allowed seven earned runs in his first two big league starts with the Mets this season, spanning just 5 2/3 innings. His struggles weren’t contained to the MLB level, either, as he posted a whopping 6.58 ERA in 39 2/3 innings spanning eight starts with Vegas this year. However, Conlon possesses solid numbers up through the the Double-A level and turned in promising K/BB numbers in Triple-A this year even while struggling with his bottom-line run prevention numbers. He’ll now return to the organization that originally drafted him and continue on as a depth piece.
As for the 25-year-old Evans, this’ll be the second time he’s been designated for assignment by the Mets in the past calendar year. He’s just 1-for-9 on the young season but hit .303/.395/.364 in a tiny sample of 38 plate appearances in the Majors last year. Evans is a career .273/.337/.445 hitter in 671 PAs at the Triple-A level and has experience at every position other than center field, first base and catcher. If he clears waivers, he’ll have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, given that he was outrighted the last time he was designated by the Mets.
That was quick
Given the increased frequency with which teams are using the DL (not just the Mets) I wonder if there may not be a push to increase the size of the 40 man roster- it doesn’t really benefit fringe guys to be going on and off of various team’s roster.
Maybe a change in waiver rules is in order? Minimum stay required or something designed to stop teams from treating players like hot potato’s.
I think you’re right here… maybe if you’re claimed, you have to stay on the 40-man until the end of the season?
That would be silly. Maybe a month
Yeah, maybe make it so the team has to either keep them on the 40-man for a month or release them.
geez what a shock.
I once saw a raccoon naked, it was spectacular
Did you mate with it ?
Ha musta felt like a dream getting picked up by the Dodgers THEN back to the Metsies. What a bad dream
He posted a pretty good tweet about it, playing off his letter to Mets fans.
“(E)specially giving me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in Oklahoma City.”