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Mets Sign Former Angels Reliever Who Was Just DFA’d
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- Mets Sign Former Angels Reliever Who Was Just DFA’d
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Former Los Angeles Angels reliever Chris Devenski was signed to a minor league deal by the New York Mets , according to a report from Darragh McDonald of MLBTradeRumors.com that referenced the transactions tracker at MLB.com. Devenski was outrighed by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week, and he chose free agency. He'll now be assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Devenski likely had multiple opportunities, but he chose the Mets of a possible second go-round with the Halos , although there were no reports about negotiations or an approach to or from the new folks in Anaheim.. The Mets are conducting open tryouts for bullpen roles after trading nearly all of theirs at the deadline, and the current selections show that they're open to all comers, so Devenski might have a real shot.
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The downside is that he's 35, but Devenski did have some strong results early in his career for the Houston Astros , according to McDonald. Back in 2017, he he had thrown 189 innings with a 2.38 earned run average, a 28.2 percent strikeout rate and a 6.4 percent walk rate, per the writer.
After that, though, his regression started and Tommy John surgery opened the road to his journey to become a would-be journeyman. Devenski's travels included stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Angels , Tampa Bay Rays , the Mets and the Pirates, with a numbers summary that declined to a 5.35 ERA, a 21.6 percent strikeout rate and 7.1 percent walk rate in 102-2/3 innings, per McDonald.
His stint with the Angels was probably typical for what the Halos have been trotting out to the mound back in 2023. He appeared in 29 games with a 5.08 ERA, and he had a record of 3-2.
Devenski did make three appearances for the Pirates this season before an undisclosed illness put him on the injured list, and the Pirates decided to outright him for assignment rather that put him back on the roster when he was ready to come off the IL.
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The success story that would track as a parallel here with the Mets would be that of Huascar Brazoban, who rode the Syracuse shuttle last season when the Mets were in free fall. This season they're already there, but Brazoban got in shape for the WBC and began pitching well to the point where he was one of the Mets most reliable high-leverage relievers.
That's a big ask right now, but Devenski clearly knows how to pitch, so it really depends on how much he's actually got left in the tank. The Mets are relying on a couple of relievers who are really pretty awful right now, so the Syracuse shuttle will be alive and humming for the next six weeks.
That means a full-blown chance for Devenski if he can stay healthy and has enough left to capitalize on it. Given the way these things go sometimes, though, another stint with the Angels at some point in the near future isn't completely out of the question.
