The New York Mets optioned right-hander Chayce McDermott to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, the corresponding move to reinstate reliever Austin Warren from the injured list, according to a team announcement.
It's the third organization to option or demote McDermott in less than five months, a stretch that has turned last year's top Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect into a well-traveled reclamation project.
The Mets acquired McDermott from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for catcher Ben Rortvedt on August 3, activating him shortly after for a brief run of relief appearances before Tuesday's option.
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A year earlier, McDermott was the Baltimore Orioles' top pitching prospect , coming off back-to-back strong Triple-A seasons and viewed as a near-certain answer to the club's rotation depth problems.
Command issues changed that math fast. Baltimore shifted him to relief, and after a rough spring training and a slow start to the 2026 minor league season, the Orioles designated him for assignment on April 11.
The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed him five days later, sending pitching prospect Axel Pérez back to Baltimore, according to MLB Trade Rumors . McDermott mostly worked out of Triple-A Oklahoma City for the Dodgers, posting a 4.10 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. But he also walked 20. Los Angeles designated him for assignment again on July 31. New York acquired him three days later.
Michael Baron of Just Mets confirmed Tuesday's assignment, noting the move opens a bullpen spot for Warren as he comes off the injured list. New York surrendered little to acquire McDermott with Rortvedt never cracking the Mets' 40-man roster. That made McDermott a low-cost bet on a pitcher whose résumé still included a top prospect ranking.
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McDermott, born August 22, 1998, in Anderson, Indiana, stands 6-foot-3 and roughly 190 pounds, according to his official MiLB.com biography .
The Houston Astros drafted him in the fourth round, 132nd overall, out of Ball State University in 2021. Houston shipped him to Baltimore a year later as part of the three-team deal that sent Trey Mancini to the Astros.
McDermott's college career nearly ended before it began. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow before his freshman season at Ball State, requiring Tommy John surgery and a redshirt year, according to the Herald Bulletin of Anderson, Indiana . He rebounded to post an 8-2 record with a 3.05 ERA as a redshirt junior.
McDermott made his major league debut with Baltimore on July 24, 2024, then landed on the minor league injured list weeks later with a shoulder issue. A right lat strain forced him to open his 2025 season on the injured list, and back discomfort shelved him again that September, according to Spotrac's injury log .
No new injury has been reported since the Mets acquired him. McDermott owns a career minor league record of 23-26 with a 4.36 ERA and 611 strikeouts across 140 games, numbers that once made him a top-100 organizational arm.
Scouts have long liked his fastball that touches the upper 90s, paired with a slider and curveball capable of missing bats at any level. But it's the walks that chased him out of three organizations in one calendar year.
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