The Pirates are in agreement with reliever Chris Devenski on a minor league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. That presumably includes a Spring Training invite for the Suarez & Associates client.
Devenski was on and off the Mets’ active roster a few times throughout the 2025 season. The 35-year-old righty made it into 13 games overall, allowing four runs across 16 2/3 innings. He struck out 14 against five walks. Devenski also managed solid numbers with Triple-A Syracuse, where he pitched 37 2/3 frames of 3.35 ERA ball. He attacked the zone while posting a slightly below-average 21% strikeout rate at both levels.
That’s now 10 straight seasons in which the former 25th-round draft pick has pitched at the MLB level. Devenski was an All-Star in his second season as a member of the Astros. He has spent the majority of his career as a well-traveled long reliever. If he gets to the big leagues in Pittsburgh, they’d be his seventh MLB team. Devenski’s 92 MPH fastball velocity is below average, so he leans on a plus changeup as his most frequent offering.
There’s opportunity for Devenski to win a job out of camp. Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson, and Justin Lawrence are locked into the Opening Day bullpen. They’ll hope that hard-throwing lefty Mason Montgomery — acquired from Tampa Bay as part of the Mike Burrows trade — locks down a job in Spring Training as well. That’d still leave as many as three bullpen roles up for grabs. Yohan Ramírez is out of options, but he’s a journeyman signed for barely more than the league minimum. Carmen Mlodzinski still has an option remaining, as do potential fifth starters Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington.
I figured he would be a starter on the Rockies this year.
Mlodzinski has a spot locked in. Let’s not be silly.
Carmen was better at long relief than as a starter
To be fair, he only has a hand full of MLB innings as a starter so the sample isn’t huge on that, giving him a couple opportunities in spring trying to go 5 may be worth trying.
As a starter? Unless you have inside info, I wouldn’t be so sure
Carmen did a very fine job in long relief and that should be his position.
Heard that mlod is being stretched out as a starter in his off-season program
Relief, this was supposed to be a separate comment rather than a reply to OP.
That one hurts. How can Stearns allow this.
There goes Syracuse’s closer!
Good going, Pirates!
Nice to see a team bring in someone who can PITCH instead of just throwing hard.
The Mets had a few of them last season ( tyler rogers too) but are so in love with the 95+ mph fastballers that getting people out isn’t as important as a strikeout.
Hope Devenski sticks and prospers.
4 ex-Met retreads from the bargain bin in the BP and ST hasn’t even started. Buyer beware, you get what you pay for!