Fans of the New York Mets are waiting tensely for a massive change to occur in Queens as MLB free agency continues without the team signing a top player to date. Meanwhile, David Stearns, the recently appointed president of baseball operations, keeps adding little pieces to his pitching staff.
LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports that “the White Sox have traded pitcher Yohan Ramirez to the Mets in exchange for cash considerations.” “On Wednesday, Ramirez was scheduled for assignment.”
While Yoshinobu Yamamoto dining at owner Steve Cohen’s house isn’t quite the same as this revelation, it does indicate that New York is placing a premium on pitching depth, especially in the bullpen. The right-handed reliever, who spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Guardians, and Seattle Mariners before moving to Chicago, has a 6-4 record and a career 3.99 ERA in 102 MLB appearances.
In 38.1 innings thrown in 2023 against the Pirates and White Sox, Ramirez had a 4.23 ERA. His major problem has been control; across his career, he has walked five batters per nine innings.