The New York Mets announced on Thursday afternoon that they have claimed left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay off waivers and sent him to Triple-A Syracuse. He was a first-round draft pick for the Mets in 2016, before being moved in the deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that sent Marcus Stroman to New York at the 2019 trade deadline.
Photo: Ed Delany, MMO
Kay, now 28 years old, has spent most of the 2023 season in the Chicago Cubs organization. Most of his appearances came in Triple-A Iowa (37 1/3 innings pitched and 50 K’s in 30 outings), although he did make 13 relief appearances with the big league ball club. Kay did not succeed in those opportunities, pitching to a 6.35 ERA in 11 1/3 innings.
The Cubs decided that they wanted to call up former Mets outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong for a final playoff push, which meant someone had to be DFA’d. Kay was designated for assignment, and just days later, the team that drafted him over seven years ago has chosen to bring him back.
Kay never appeared for the Mets big league team before he was traded to the Blue Jays. He spent the next 3.5 seasons between Triple-A Buffalo and the Blue Jays major league roster, but he could never carve out a stable role in their bullpen. Kay has appeared in 41 major league games since he debuted, going 4-2 with a 5.60 ERA in 82 innings.
