According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, free agent left-handed pitcher Jon Niese will be working out on Wednesday in Florida for teams who may be interested in signing him. At this time, it is unknown which teams will be attending the workout, however he was at Tradition Field on Monday training with his former teammates in Port St. Lucie.
Niese is coming off his worst season as a professional. In 20 starts and nine relief appearances, he was 8-7 with a 5.50 ERA and 1.587 WHIP. Despite his struggles, the Mets re-acquired him during the season not only due to a rash of injuries to the starting pitching, but also as an opportunity to move on from Antonio Bastardo.
In what will likely prove to be his last appearance for the Mets, Niese lasted just one-third of an inning after leaving the game with a knee injury and was replaced by rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman who ended up tossing a gem. Shortly thereafter, Niese had season-ending knee surgery.
There have been no indications as to whether the Mets will be attending the workout. Presumably, the Mets would be uninterested in re-signing Niese after having signed Fernando Salas, Jerry Blevins, and Tom Gorzelanny last week. But if Niese were willing to sign a minor league deal, he could provide the Mets with some depth as a reliever, especially given that he’s a lefty.
