Oct
16
2012

Mets Remove Justin Hampson From 40-Man, Opts For Free Agency

An article by Joe D

Mets lefty reliever Justin Hampson has been removed from the team’s 40-man roster and has opted for free agency.

Hampson, 32, appeared in 13 games with the Mets in 2012, his first major league action since his time with the Padres in 2008.

The Mets southpaw had a seriously good season in Triple-A Buffalo where he appeared in 51 games and pitched to a 2.33 ERA while striking out 59 batters and walking just 22.

Hampson would be a solid option for many a major league bullpen, and wherever he lands in 2013, we wish him the best. He’s a class act.

The Mets are counting heavily on Josh Edgin and Robert Carson to fill the left-handed void in the bullpen next season, and with so many other bigger problems on their plate, don’t expect that to change..

About the Author: Joe DeCaro

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

5 Comments + Add Comment

Metsie October 16, 2012 at 11:03 pm

1.80 ERA? Nah Cut him we don’t need that kind of stuff we have a glut of LHP don’t we?
Reese October 17, 2012 at 12:28 am

I think the issue had more to do with other players they wanted to protect and to create space on the 40 man roster. Of course, they still have Josh Satin, Zach Lutz, Reese Havens and others clogging up that space which, arguably, could better have been served by the journeyman Hampson coming off a remarkable season. You’d think having seen Dickey putting it together at age 35 might have made the Mets a little more tolerant of older players showing good promise.
- Metsie October 17, 2012 at 12:45 am
  
  Yes Reese but there was still plenty of time to do this and that time could have been used to use him in a trade package for other BP arms.
  
  I think the reason the others were kept over him was purely about age.
  The two Joe Mentioned are definitly keepers I just don’t see why it would be so hard to trade him for some other kid to a team who needed a LHBP and maybe didn’t need to be protected.
  
  Basically what was the rush try and get something for him?
TruthsaboutMurphy October 17, 2012 at 9:26 am

Dont you know by now, the Mets FO is smarter then us all? F- Mart would have come in handy at some point last year, but nah, cut him. Yeah, FM wasn’t great when called up last season but he played sporadically and that doesn’t help. The Mets could have used him all season long.
Blog Roundup: Speculation and Reflections October 17, 2012 at 12:39 pm

[...] in order to position themselves for the rest of the offseason. They removed LHP Justin Hampson from the 40-man roster. He then opted for free agency. New York also dropped C Rob Johnson from the 40-man roster. [...]

NL East Standings

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Braves	24	18	.571	-
Nationals	23	20	.535	1.5
Phillies	20	23	.465	4.5
Mets	16	24	.400	7.0
Marlins	11	32	.256	13.5

Last updated: 05/18/2013

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