After designating Wilmer Font for assignment on Friday, the Mets have announced that they have traded the right-hander to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.
Font has had an uneven career, struggling in stints with the Rangers, Dodgers, Athletics, Rays, and now Mets. For his career, he has an even 6.00 ERA in 52 games (eight starts).
The Mets acquired Font on May 13, when they sent an 18-year-old Dominican undrafted free agent named Neraldo Catalina to the Rays. Catalina had yet to play a professional game, but it was still a bit puzzling that they’d give up a lottery ticket for a pitcher with a poor track record, and soon thereafter designating Font for assignment looks even stranger.
With the Mets, Font struggled to a 7.84 ERA in his three starts, although he found better success as a reliever with a 4.41 ERA in 12 appearances, including a stretch from May 25 to June 20 where he allowed only one earned run in 13.1 innings. However, he gave up four runs in his last two outings before being designated for assignment to make room for Chris Mazza, so a small trade like this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
