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Mets Sign Former Pirates Reliever Who Was Just DFA’d
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- Mets Sign Former Pirates Reliever Who Was Just DFA’d
The New York Mets signed right-hander Chris Devenski to a minor-league deal, 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.
When it comes to the Mets, Devenski knows an opportunity when he sees one. 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, the writer added.
After that, though, his regression started and Tommy John surgery opened the road to his journey to become a 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 included a decline to a 5.35 ERA, a 21.6 percent strikeout rate and 7.1 percent walk rate in 102-2/3 innings, per McDonald.
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.
The success story that would track as a parallel here 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 this spring and began pitching well to the point where he was one of the Mets most reliable high-leverage relievers.
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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.
