Mets Sign Relievers Clint Everts and Elmer Dessens

James Kwasnik of LoHud.com tells us that the Mets have signed a couple of relievers today.

The Mets will welcome Elmer Dessens back to the fold as they signed him to a minor league contract today. He’ll be eligible to compete in Spring Training.

They also inked a deal with right-handed pitcher Clint Everts to a Major League contract. His numbers in the minors are quite impressive.

Last week Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Mets had signed Everts to a minor league deal, but with today’s move he immediately gets added to the Mets 40 man roster.

Everts, 25, was highly sought after and was being pursued by 15 teams at the Winter Meetings.

Last season, he was 8-1 with a 1.65 ERA in 44 relief appearances while pitching at three levels in the Washington Nationals farm system including Class-AAA Syracuse. In 60 innings pitched, he allowed 49 hits and walked 26 while striking out 68 batters.

Everts was originally drafted by Omar Minaya, then with the Expos, with the fifth overall pick in the 2002 Amateur Draft. He could prove to be a solid sleeper for the Mets down the road.

Dessens returns to the Mets after a decent effort last season during a short stint in which he made 28 appearances and posted a 3.31 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 32 innings pitched.

Dessens is clearly an insurance policy who will do most of his toiling in Buffalo, While Everts has a good chance of making the bullpen with a solid spring.