4:40 pm: Eickhoff is returning to the Mets on a new minor league arrangement, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link).
9:27 am: Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff went unclaimed on waivers and has elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment to Triple-A, per the transactions log at MiLB.com. He can now sign with any club (or re-sign a new minor league deal with the Mets).
Eickhoff, who turned 31 on Friday, returned to the big leagues with a pair of starts for an injury-depleted Mets club last month. The righty saw Major League time with the Phillies each season from 2015-19, pitching to a combined 4.15 ERA with a 21.3 percent strikeout rate and a 6.8 percent walk rate. His best work, however, came in the first two years of that span, when he posted a 3.44 ERA in 248 1/3 frames. Eickhoff’s final three seasons with the Phils were marred by injuries — most notably surgery to address carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand.
Eickhoff split the 2020 season between the Padres and Rangers organizations after signing a minor league deal with the Padres. San Diego even selected his contract to the MLB roster early in the 2020 campaign, but he was sent out before appearing in a game. He later inked a minor league pact with his original organization, the Rangers, but didn’t make it back to the big leagues before season’s end.
The 2020 season marked the first since 2015 in which Eickhoff didn’t pitch in the Majors. He’ll now look for a new opportunity after yielding five runs on 11 hits and four walks with six punchouts in 10 innings for the Mets. Four of the hits surrendered by Eickhoff in his brief time with the Mets’ big league club were home runs, which is cause for some concern, as are the struggles he had in Triple-A Syracuse before being called to the Majors: 44 innings, 5.32 ERA, 22.1 percent strikeout rate, 7.0 percent walk rate, 11 home runs allowed.
Sorry to see what’s happened to him. Had one of the better curveballs I’ve seen when he was healthy.
He had the Eich but didn’t have the Hoff with his pitches
I think he resigns with the Mets on a new minor league deal. Mets aren’t in the position to be letting go of SP depth.
I mean, they waived him so they didnt really value him
They pretty often waive players then take them back
They needed arms unless they did away with that pesky starting pitchers have to rest between games. Remember they had a bunch of double headers in the same week. I think it was like 10 games or something like that in an 8 day span.
It’s possible, but they recently brought in Worley and several other minor league arms. They were willing to risk exposing him to waivers so I’m not sure they were particularly enamored with what he showed.
Good call, LOL.
All the best to him. In the era of launch angle swings, 4 home runs in 10 big league innings after 11 home runs in 44 AAA innings tells me he needs a better out pitch. More bend to his curveball, more sink to a sinker, or more movement to his fastball. Something more deceptive ti a hitter who
Is looking to pound one into the seats
Sounds like he needs sticky stuff lol
Sign with Rangers again. They will end up trading Gibson and maybe other pitchers as well
Or perhaps, an occasional four seamer shoulder high and 6 to 9 inches inside, to let these body armored clowns know they can’t step across the plate to pull outside pitches?
I am confused about this. Wasn’t he going to get an MLB salary for the rest of the season as a result of having been called up? Why would he give that up to sign a new minor league deal with the Mets (as was suggested in the article)? Or does he stop getting the major league salary when he gets sent down and revert to minor league salary?
Often times players will be on “split contracts” which means yes when he gets sent back down his salary goes back to what he was making in the minors unless sometimes he’s with the big club for a certain number of days.
Dumpster divin’ time for Cubbies!
Lehigh Valley on line 1
Ungrateful. He had a good paying job!
Clearly, Eickhoff read my previous comment.
Dude’s a thief.
Muts resign loser Eickhoff you saw he stunk the 1st time he is awful must have pictures of
someone high up.
Muts??…you must be a Yankee fan…go away…
The Mets, like most teams, have trouble with pitching injuries and resort to the scrap heap for their 5th starter. Pretty common. There, I just taught you something about baseball, Mr. Florida.
Eickhoff sucks. It’s time to stop recycling guys that can no longer play. Bring up another 23 year old and see what happens.
And he’s back. And he still sucks!