The Mets have announced that they have recalled their right-hander Jonah Tong from Triple-A Syracuse. In a corresponding movement, the right hand partner Craig Kimbrel selected for assignment.
Kimbrel, who turns 38 next week, is one of the best closers of this generation but has been a great helper in recent years. He had to settle for a minor league deal with the Mets through 2026, albeit one that would have paid him $2.5MM if his contract was picked up. He was added to the roster a few weeks into the season. He has thrown 15 innings for the Mets since then but has allowed 10 earned runs with a 6.00 earned run average.
That probably goes beyond how I’m not doing well this year. His 23.4% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate are both about league average. His .325 batting average on balls in play and a 56.2% strand rate are both on the unfortunate side, along with his 15.8% home run average on safe balls. Measures like his 4.90 FIP and 3.76 SIERA suggest he deserves better in that relatively small sample.
Regardless of what he deserved, the results were enough for the Mets to move on. This club seems to be leaning towards a youth movement of some sort lately. In the last month or so, they’ve let go of the guys and veterans Tommy Pham, Andy Ibanez again Austin Slater while calling AJ Ewing, Nick Morabito, Zach Thornton and now Tong.
Kimbrel will go into DFA limbo. The Mets could explore trade interest but it may be difficult to make a deal for a 30-year-old pitcher with a 6.00 ERA making a few million, regardless of track record. He could have been placed on waivers and cleared, leaving the Mets on the hook for the rest of the money.
If that happens, the clubs will be very interested. They will then be able to sign Kimbrel and will only owe him a prorated portion of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. Although his ERA is high, as mentioned, some of the numbers below are very encouraging. Between that and his career record, maybe some club would take a shot at the lowest cost.
As for Tong, it is not clear what role he will play in the team. He started in Triple-A this year but has a 5.68 ERA. A major league replacement just lost Clay Holmes on the injured list. A broken fibula will keep him out for several months. Tobias Myers it starts today. He has starting experience but hasn’t pitched more than two innings in the last three weeks, so he won’t be focused on the game. Sean Manaea he can work in relief for a long time but Tong could give the Mets another option in that department.
This could be just the start for Myers or maybe he could get a long look in the rotation. Four locations are currently occupied Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott again David Peterson. Thornton made his debut this week but allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Peterson has an ERA north of 5.00 and is not guaranteed anything going forward.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
