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Mets make 2 roster moves after Luke Weaver signing
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- Mets make 2 roster moves after Luke Weaver signing
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The New York Mets made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday, claiming catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and designating left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell for assignment, shortly after signing former New York Yankees reliever Luke Weaver to a two-year, $22 million deal .
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Romo was the 35th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and had previously been ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball, including spots 80 and 84 by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, respectively. At 24, the switch-hitting catcher has earned a reputation for his defensive skills and powerful arm. In limited big-league action with Colorado, he compiled a .167/.196/.222 slash line with 21 strikeouts in 56 plate appearances.
In the minors, Romo has shown more promise. Over parts of three Triple-A seasons, mostly with Albuquerque, he slashed .286/.337/.466 in 149 games, amassing 45 home runs and 240 RBIs in 426 games. However, his 2025 performance was less impressive, hitting .264/.329/.409 with a 25.8% strikeout rate and posting a wRC+ 25% below league average in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
Romo still has two minor league option years remaining, giving New York flexibility to shuttle him between Triple-A Syracuse and the majors as depth behind starter Francisco Alvarez , with veteran Luis Torrens and right-handed hitter Hayden Senger also on the 40-man roster.
To make room for Romo, the Mets designated Waddell for assignment. The 31-year-old lefty appeared in 11 games for the Mets in the past season, totaling 31 1/3 innings with a 3.45 ERA. While his ERA was respectable, the numbers behind it told a more complete and less flattering story. He had a 16.4% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate, 82% strand rate, a .260 BABIP, 4.54 FIP, and 5.65 xERA.
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Waddell spent much of the year in Triple-A Syracuse, recording a 3-9 record and 5.02 ERA over 19 games, 15 of which were starts. He previously spent three years pitching in Korea with the Doosan Bears, achieving a 2.98 ERA across 244 2/3 innings, and made 12 starts in Taiwan's CPBL in 2023. Since he has no remaining minor league options, the team must either trade him or put him on waivers in the next five days.
New York's catching corps now includes Romo, Torrens, Senger, and starter Francisco Alvarez, providing multiple options to support the major league roster. On the pitching side, the addition of Weaver strengthens the back end of a bullpen that already includes Devin Williams , A.J. Minter , and Brooks Raley .
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