As the New York Mets ruminate on how to move forward after their disastrous season, they’re starting to lose some of the players that tried to get them to the playoffs.
In September, the Mets were running through pitchers at a usurious rate. They designated five pitchers for assignment in a month, which is never the sign of a thriving club. Keeping fresh arms available to pitch do-or-die games was more important than ensuring pitchers would stay with the team long-term.
One of those pitchers, though, was having a fairly strong season. Right-hander Chris Devenski gave the Mets a 2.16 ERA across 13 major league appearances, in addition to a solid 3.35 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse. But after he was DFA’d on Sept. 25, the right-hander decided it was time to explore other opportunities.
On Wednesday, Devenski elected free agency, as his official transactions page reflects. The 10-year veteran is eligible to sign a minor-league deal with any of the 30 clubs, but such deals are rare before major league free agency opens after the World Series.
Before coming to the Mets, Devenski pitched for the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels, and Tampa Bay Rays. He’s got a 3.91 ERA across 316 major league appearances, and he won a World Series ring in Houston in 2017.
The Mets, who also DFA’d Richard Lovelady, Wander Suero, Dom Hamel, and Kevin Herget during the month of September, will have a lot of fixing to do after their pitching staff crumbled in the second half.
Will another club take a chance on Devenski next season? At a minimum, his work with the Mets should earn him an invitation to major league spring training.
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