The Mets announced that they have claimed right-hander Edwin Uceta off the Pirates’ waivers and traded him to Triple-A. Uceta had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh earlier this week. To open up a roster spot for him, the Mets transferred right-hander Sam Coonrod to the 60-day disabled list.
Uceta, 25, has been extremely popular on the freelance wire. He spent the early parts of his career with the Dodgers, but was reclaimed by the Diamondbacks in October 2021. He spent one season with the Snakes, though they put him on waivers in January of this year. In recent months, he’s been claimed by the Tigers, the Pirates and now the Mets, earning four claims in the past year and a half and three in the past few months.
Through it all, he’s been able to make 24 major league appearances, 14 with the Dodgers in 2021 and 10 more with the D’Backs last year. He has a 6.27 ERA in that time, striking out 23% of opponents, walking 11.5% and grounding out 37.1%.
What surely appeals to clubs is that Uceta has shown a slew of strikeouts in the minors, posting a 29.5% strikeout rate at Triple-A in 2021 and then 32.7% at that level last year. . He’s also coupled that with high walk rates and an ERA of just under 5.00 in both cases, but there’s enough to dream clubs keep giving him a chance. He still has an option year so the Mets can keep him in the minors and see if Uceta can make better use of his stuff.
The club’s bullpen depth has already taken a few hits in the early parts of the season. Edwin Diaz required likely season-ending knee surgery, while Bryce Montes de Oca required Tommy John surgery. By taking Uceta off waivers, the Mets have added a bit of optional depth to their roster.
As for Coonrod, this transfer comes as no surprise, having recently been diagnosed with a high-grade lateral strain and not likely to be available any time soon. This move makes him ineligible to return until the end of May at the earliest.