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.
Finally, some pre-emptive moves from Minaya. Good to see he’s shoring up the ‘pen.
Everts was a high school teammate of Scott Kazmir. A 2002 graduate.
…#5 pick in 02 draft…blew his elbow out in ’04….i like the signing…
And think of it this way: the more relievers he adds, the more can trade away for something better!
Yeah but we need big ones not those smaller peanut gallery moves.
I agree and that’s what I mean. These moves free up the commodities that the Mets have to be traded. No, the Mets prospects can’t stand alone in a trade, but when paired with major league players, it makes it a little easier to swallow for a GM.
Everts seems to be a good catch. I really would like to see him in the spring and see what he can bring to the big club. If omar feels like he’s good enough to bring in and it frees up Parnell to be traded in a big deal then I’m all for it. If the rumor is true about arroyo and “another player” from cincinatti then let’s go all in. Pay 2/3 of castillo’s pay and find a third team to take Ugglas services from florida. I know that’s Santana’s boy but he needs run support and if “that player” is Phillips then let it ride!!!!!!
Andy, i certainly wouldn’t count on it being Phillips since recent reports have reds trying to actually build something albeit on the cheap; but if true, it certainly doesn’t bode well for them to be willing to deal a cost effective “foundation” player.
Just think, the Jason Bay trade was considered a small deal back in the day.
These signings are awful. Elmer Dessens will not help the Mets one bit.
Living, I don’t believe Dsessens is intended to be anything more than a method to increase available depth while not congesting the 40. Where would we have been last yr without the Dessens of the franchise? Everyone loves to complain about a lack of prospect depth. without the suplus mlb talent to deal for multiple prospects, how else do u suppose a minimum depth can be increased to A SERVICABLE ONE? We need to stop judging ever single transaction as a defined difference maker, otgher franchise’s fans don’t. When Philly acquired Feliz, Wewrth or even Rule V acquisition Victorino, Did any alarm bells toll? Fireworks?