The Mets have claimed right-hander Max Kranick off waivers from the Pirates, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The righty was designated for assignment by the Bucs a week ago when they needed a roster spot to sign Martín Pérez. The Mets have a full roster and will need to make a corresponding move for Kranick, and will need to open another when they make their signing of Sean Manaea official.
Kranick, 26, will now join just the second organization of his career. He was drafted by the Pirates and has been a part of that organization until this transaction. He made his major league debut with nine starts in 2021, posting a 6.28 earned run average in 38 2/3 innings. He made two relief appearances for the club in 2022 but required Tommy John surgery in June of that year, wiping out the rest of the season and most of 2023. He was healthy enough to return to the mound late in 2023, making a few minor league starts in August and September.
There’s obviously not much major league track record to go on and the surgery has prevented him from pitching meaningful innings in the minors of late. But he has thrown 344 1/3 innings on the farm overall with a 3.55 ERA. He has only struck out 19.5% of minor league hitters but has only given out walks at a modest 6.2% clip.
He is now out of options, which suggest the Mets are either planning to keep him on their active roster or will attempt to run him through waivers in the future. The Mets already have a rotation composed of Manaea, Luis Severino, Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Adrian Houser, with Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi on hand as optionable depth. David Peterson will be in the mix once he recovers from his hip surgery. Given that rotation picture, perhaps the Mets will keep Kranick in the bullpen and see if he can find some extra strikeouts with his stuff playing up in shorter stints.
The Mets are taking something of a step back this year and have limited themselves to fairly modest moves. Manaea got a two-year deal but with an opt-out after the first season. Severino got a one-year deal, as did Harrison Bader, Joey Wendle, Jorge López, Austin Adams and Michael Tonkin. The club has also claimed Penn Murfee, Zack Short, Tyler Heineman and Cooper Hummel and now Kranick off waivers.
Taken together, those moves have filled out the pitching staff and bench as the club will look to go into 2024 with more depth. Perhaps that will help them avoid the pitfalls they fell into last year when a batch of injuries knocked them out contention, or perhaps it will simply allow someone in that batch to break out and take a step forward this year. If the club falls out of contention again and winds up engaging in another deadline selloff, they can give some extra innings or plate appearances to someone showing signs of development.
Yanks2
Who’s Max Kranick?
Chuck from Uniontown
Why do we always have to have someone in the comments asking who the person is as if “More to Come” doesn’t always lead to a nice write up about the player being written soon.
If you don’t know the guy, you don’t have to announce it.
radhippo
Then we have another guy follow it up by saying this. The irony.
Chuck from Uniontown
The guy commenting on the follow up is a fresh twist though. This is refreshing.
EndinStealth
If the first person was just an attention merchant none of the subsequent replies would even happen.
basedonamadeupstory
Don’t forget the crank who says “World Series here we come!” or similar.
Camden453
I love the “wow” comments after a big free agent signs or trade
Blue Baron
@Yanks2: Baseball Reference is your friend.
MarlinsFanBase
@Blue Baron
Ah man, I was looking in Wikipedia because I as sure it was the Max that Mel Gibson played in some cool movies a long time ago, before Mel went certifiably out of his mind.
metsfan79
dude…who are you? pfft
TrumboRedux
Future hall of famer. Very well kept secret.
Attystephenadams
“Organizational depth”.
mazbilleroski
Since he is a pitcher with decent stuff that the Pirates have up on, he is a future Cy Young Award winner
melfman1
Literally a whole article published less than a week ago about him being DFA’d. Do a little research, don’t be so lazy!
carlos15
Google him
TheMan 3
google is your friend
TrumboRedux
You sound like one of the billboards from “They Live.”
StudWinfield
I’m all out of bubble gum
Pat52
It would seem the Mets are telling the fans wait until next year even before spring training starts.
D2323
Damnit Kranick I love you…
bjhaas1977
Snoop Dogg’s favorite pitcher!
flyingblindsquirrel
Max Kranick [what?]-cles of Narnia!
AHH-Rox
Barry Bostwick > Barry Bonds
SonnySteele
Rocky Horror reference?
mahalkita
Better than that scrubb from yesterday. Hopefully will never pitch for the MLB team though.
Camden453
RIP Grant Hartwig and Sean Reid-Foley off the Mets 40 man
Camden453
Or Josh Walker. If it were me I’d boot Hartwig and Walker. SRF isn’t that bad a talent
soxshortstop
Another missed oppty by the frugally minded Chaim Breslow and Company. Looking in the new England softball beer league for a right handed hitter and a couple of soft tossing pitchers.
FanOfTheUmpires
Chump team with a chump owner. That is all. I’m out of here.
MetsSchmets
Bye bye
Trotski
I’m sure you’ll be back with another enlightening comment before long
10centBeerNight
More solid potential recognition by Stearns. Man knows what he’s doing
joew
I have a feeling Max will do well when healthy. Getting him on a claim is a pretty good bargin even if he doesn’t pan out.
wvpirate
Good luck Max!
Seaver rules
Probably another real nice guy. Great HS career, ok in college and no a bum. Stearns likes bums. Now please, please, please sign Jorge Soler.
mlb fan
Soler would be a DH upgrade for the Mets no doubt, but if it were my call, I’d go with Rhys Hoskins, who’s a bit more consistent and predictable in my opinion.
mookiesboy
No – take that $$ and sign two good setup guys
dpcollects
Mets will probably create a spot on the 40 for Max Kranick, then in a few days DFA him for Sean Manaea and try to slide him through waivers.
geofft
Maybe, maybe not. There are other candidates who would justify being DFA’d, including several other marginal relievers who are out of options. Might as well cut IF Zack Short now, keep the pitchers till spring training and see which of them warrants the roster spots and which need to go. Also a better chance of working a waiver-wire trade in spring than right now. re are
Joeydonuts
Max was called up to make a few starts due to injury. He was due to go back down, but got hurt.
Luckily for him, he needed TJ, so he got major league pay and service time for 1.5 years
He’d be playing in Korea if not for that.
YourDreamGM
Dime a dozen player
ethan hullihen
Kranick is certainly going to qualify for a fourth option