The Mets have selected right-hander Erasmo Ramirez’s contract, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. The team opened 40-man space for Ramirez when it designated outfielder Billy Hamilton for assignment.
The 30-year-old Ramirez, whom the Mets signed to a minor league contract in June, could now be in line to appear in the majors for the ninth consecutive season. Going back to 2012, the former Ray, Mariner and Red Sox has recorded a passable 4.40 ERA/4.58 FIP with 6.98 K/9 and 2.56 BB/9 in 640 2/3 innings and 193 appearances (92 starts), but his stock has fallen over the past couple years. Ramirez struggled to a 6.50 ERA/6.69 FIP across 45 2/3 frames with Seattle in 2018 and only totaled three innings with Boston last season.
Now that he’s coming back to the majors, it’s unclear whether Ramirez will fill a starting or bullpen role for the Mets, whose rotation, despite impressive peripherals, owns the majors’ seventh-worst ERA (5.25). Only Jacob deGrom, David Peterson and Seth Lugo (who has made a pair of short starts since leaving the bullpen) have done well to prevent runs for the club’s starting staff this year. Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, Robert Gsellman and the currently injured Steven Matz have had immense difficulty keeping runs off the board, on the other hand.