The Rays announced that Rule 5 pick Nate Lavender went unclaimed on waivers and was returned to the Mets. He’ll be back in the New York organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.
Lavender never got a shot with Tampa Bay. The former 14th-round pick had undergone internal brace surgery in May 2024. The Rays took a flier on him in the Rule 5 draft halfway through his rehab. They hoped he’d make it back in the second half of the ’25 season and battle for a spot in the big league bullpen. It didn’t happen, as it appears he suffered some kind of setback. Lavender didn’t pitch at any level this year and was designated for assignment when the injured list went away last week.
Rule 5 draftees need to spend their entire first season in the new organization on the MLB roster or injured list. Lavender met that criterion, but they also need to spend at least 90 days on the active roster in total. If that doesn’t happen in year one because of injury or suspension, the player’s Rule 5 status carries into the winter and following season.
The silver lining for the 25-year-old southpaw is that he spent a season on the major league injured list. He picked up a year of service time and, more importantly, was paid the $760K league minimum salary. That’s no small matter for a player who received a $125K signing bonus at draft time and had never before occupied a spot on a 40-man roster. That said, it’s obviously disappointing that he wasn’t healthy enough to audition for a long-term bullpen spot in Tampa Bay.
The Illinois product will try to earn that opportunity with the Mets. Lavender struck out nearly 37% of opponents while combining for a 2.98 ERA between the top two minor league levels in 2023. If he’s healthy, he’ll probably get a non-roster invite to big league Spring Training. Even if he doesn’t break camp, he could put himself on the radar for a midseason promotion if he continues missing bats at that level with Triple-A Syracuse.
Your mom likes lavender
Your dad likes the WNBA.
Your dad played in the WNBA.
Wore combat boots did she
The Mets are quite blue about it.
Klink – It would be cool if Lavender hooked up with Pink.
There is Vida Blue, Sonny Grey, Frank White, Bud Black, and now Nate Lavender. A very colorful bunch I would say.
lets – Might as well add Shawn Green, Roy White, Red Ruffing, etc.
And Gates Brown. 🙂
Can’t forget Henry Blanco. A Cub broadcaster called him Hank White.
Where’s the love for Kevin Brown?
There’s not enough room on that hijacked subway car
Which Kevin Brown?
Cincinnati Reds. Rockford Peaches. Cleveland Browns. Socks of different colors. And Le Grand Orange Rusty Schnacks. And Moe Green ran SCTV
Not to mention former Yankees minor leaguer Zach Blue Greene.
Was disappointed when Tampa took him last year. This could be a silver lining for the Mets, probably will need at least first half of season in the minors before he’s ready to get called up. It usually takes players 2 full seasons to recover.
Getting the service time is not necessarily a good thing. It will give him less time to prove himself worthy of being in the majors. Teams are not going to want a guy on the cusp of arbitration that has not proven himself when they can get a different guy that they can pay minimum for an extra year.
@ hiflew What you’re saying doesn’t add up: if he performs badly, he won’t make much in arbitration. Lots of players n that position get offered $800k to 900K and accept it without even going to the actual arb hearing.
Besides,. he needs two more full years in the majors before he is eligible. And he has 3 options remaining. So he can split his time between the majors and minors for several years before reaching arb.
Bottom line: what you are suggesting is a total non-issue.
Complete non issue. He didn’t burn any options this year either. He got to collect a full big league paycheck and this didn’t do anything to hurt him. He’s closer to free agency if he ends up working out.
I remember watching him strike out 7 of 9 in 3 perfect outings in spring training 2024 and thinking he was the bullpen savior that year lol. Hope he can turn it around
Hope he saved and invested a bunch of that $760k in case he never makes it back to the majors.
He can’t be worse than Richard Lovelady.
Dude got an entire year of MLB league-minimum paychecks, and he has his whole life ahead of him. Even if he never throws another pitch in MLB, he “made it.”
what 25-year-old do you know that’s already made $885,000 not including whatever minor league income he made. Plus he’s a southpaw so he’ll get extra looks. I’m surprised that a team didn’t take a flyer on him. the downside is he has to go on to your 26 man after his IL stint from his recovery is over (and this off season before the IL is available again next season). honestly, I’d love the Orioles to take a flyer on him and negotiate a trade rather than bring him over with the rule 5 strings.
If the Mets don’t select him, doesn’t he become Rule 5 eligible again in a few weeks?
That’s a good question, is there a rule that if you’ve been selected rule 5 once and returned that it couldn’t just happen to you again if you’re not on the 60 man? my guess is yes you could be
The lavender marriage in Florida is over.
Did he stink things up while he was in Tampa?
Don’t forget Steve “Rainbow”Trout.