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 mom and his dad seem pretty chill.
The Mets are quite blue about it.
Klink – It would be cool if Lavender hooked up with Pink.
There is Vida Blue, Sonny Grey, Bud Black, and now Nate Lavender. A very colorful bunch I would say.
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.
It’s real money for the first time in this guy’s professional career. I think it’s a win for him, especially if he comes in and shoves.
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