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Mets Designate Matt Festa For Assignment

By Steve Adams | July 3, 2024 at 10:06am CDT

The Mets announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Matt Festa for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to right-hander Christian Scott, who has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start today’s game.

Festa, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets on May 20 and posted outstanding Triple-A numbers prior to being selected to the MLB roster recently: 15 1/3 innings, 1.76 ERA, 32.2% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate. He only got into one game at the big league level with the Mets, however, and the results were nightmarish. In one inning, he was roughed up for five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. That lone frame was enough to inflate his career ERA from 4.32 (in 93 2/3 innings) to 4.66.

A former seventh-round pick, Festa has now pitched in parts of five big league seasons, the other four coming as a member of the Mariners. The 6’1″, 195-pound right-hander has seen his career slowed by injuries, most notably including 2020 Tommy John surgery. That wiped out his entire 2020 campaign and the bulk of his 2021 season as well.

Festa saw big league time in the two years prior to that surgery (2018-19) and the two years following the completion of his rehab (2022-23). In addition to the aforementioned 4.66 ERA in the majors, he’s turned in a sharp 25.1% strikeout rate to go along with plus swinging-strike rates. His 10.9% walk rate is also a couple percentage points worse than the league average, however, and his 92.6 mph average fastball velocity is rather pedestrian.

Beyond his strong showing with the Mets’ Triple-A club, Festa pitched decently with the Padres’ top affiliate in El Paso after signing a minor league deal in the offseason. He logged 16 innings and yielded eight runs, though a .360 average on balls in play didn’t do him any favors in that small sample. He fanned 21.6% of his opponents during that brief stay in the Padres organization and turned in a 9.5% walk rate.

In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Festa has a 2.10 ERA, a 27.7% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate. He’ll be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next five days now that he’s been designated for assignment (and waivers themselves would take another 48 hours). Any team that acquires or claims Festa would need to put him right on the major league roster, as he’s out of minor league options. He’s been outrighted once in the past (2020), so Festa would have the right to reject a Triple-A assignment if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

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New York Mets Transactions Matt Festa

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View Comments (17)
Post a Comment

17 Comments

  1. LambchoP

    1 year ago

    Any relation to Twins pitching prospect David Festa?

    1
    Reply
    • Bucket Number Six

      1 year ago

      Doesn’t look like it.

      Reply
    • Sign Alonso long-term!

      1 year ago

      Actually he is probably Davids father and faked his age:)

      Reply
  2. geofft

    1 year ago

    Someone asked this when he was called up. It’ll take you 40 seconds to click the link on his name, see where he’s from, and then search David Festa

    1
    Reply
    • horaceallen

      1 year ago

      One was born in Brooklyn, the other New Jersey. That didn’t help.

      2
      Reply
  3. meckert

    1 year ago

    Next!

    1
    Reply
  4. Msfan

    1 year ago

    M’s will sign him

    1
    Reply
    • toycannon

      1 year ago

      Yes. The bullpen has been looking pretty shaky lately.

      Reply
      • Bill M

        1 year ago

        If it needs to look shakier, Festa’s your man

        4
        Reply
  5. Bleedsblue81

    1 year ago

    The festas over! You dont gotta go home but you gotta get the eff outta here

    3
    Reply
  6. bjhaas1977

    1 year ago

    Wouldn’t mind him sticking around for another run at AAA. His numbers are good. He just needs to figure it out on a major league level.

    1
    Reply
    • geofft

      1 year ago

      Yeah, I never like losing the depth. But he’s 31. Not sure that he’ll ever figure it out, and depth is probably all he’ll ever be.

      2
      Reply
      • bjhaas1977

        1 year ago

        Same was said about Garrett!

        Reply
        • geofft

          1 year ago

          OK. but how often does that happen, really? And BW, Garrett is starting to show some cracks. Yes, he’s been overused and in more high-leverage situations. Maybe he’ll recover now with the addition of Butto for long work, and the return of Diaz in a couple of day. Or maybe he doesn’t. We’ll find out soon – did he really figure it out? Or did the Mets just catch lightening in a bottle.

          1
          Reply
  7. Sign Alonso long-term!

    1 year ago

    Great news a Festavus for anyone but us:)

    Reply
  8. holecamels35

    1 year ago

    Uncle Festa back to Transylvania

    Reply
  9. carlos15

    1 year ago

    He was atrocious the other night but Mendoza putting him in, in a tie game in the 11th against the Astros didn’t help. The highest of leverage situations. He didn’t look good but a couple appearances in less high intensity situations might have helped. Mendoza was short handed but still had a couple better options

    Reply

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