The Mets continue to add pitchers to their camp.
They signed 33-year old RHSP/RHRP Jose Urena to a minor league contract.
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Fron MLBTR:
Ureña spent the 2024 season with the Rangers,
working primarily out of the bullpen but also making nine starts over the
course of the season. He totaled 109 innings with a solid 3.80 earned run
average, though not all of his numbers looked quite so sharp.
Ureña’s 15.1% strikeout rate was among the
lowest in the league, and his 8.4% walk rate was roughly average. He notched a
strong 50.1% ground-ball rate and kept the ball in the yard nicely enough (1.07
HR/9), but metrics like FIP (4.62) and SIERA (4.66) felt like he had a fair bit
of good fortune to reach that more impressive ERA mark. Ureña’s .273 average on
balls in play was a bit shy of the .289 mark he carried into the season, and
his 75% strand rate was also higher than both league average (72%) and his
career mark prior to 2024 (69.5%).
On the whole, Ureña has a 4.76 ERA in 948 1/3
big league innings. He had some stretches early in his career where he
delivered solid midrotation results for the Marlins but has since been hit hard
more often than not as he’s moved into journeyman status. His solid 2024 run in
Texas was the first time since 2018 that he’s posted an ERA south of 5.00.
Ureña isn’t going to jump right into the Mets’
pitching plans, but there’s also little harm in seeing if a veteran arm coming
of a nice rebound effort can sustain some of his production — especially early
on while the rest of the pitching staff is a bit banged up. Even with Montas
and Manaea ailing, the Mets have signaled they plan to stick with in-house
arms, by and large. Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Paul Blackburn,
Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill give the Mets six experienced arms on which to
rely. Top prospect Brandon Sproat could join the mix midseason.
As such, if Ureña is to make the club, it’d
likely be as a swingman — but it’s equally or more likely that he’ll opt back
into the market if he doesn’t make the club. As an Article XX(b) free agent
(i.e. six-plus years MLB service, finished the prior season on a major league
roster/injured list), Ureña will have a trio of uniform opt-out dates on his
contract: five days before the season (March 22), May 1 and June 1.
Mike Mayer @mikemayer22
José Ureña's groundball percentage of 50.1 in
2024 was tied with David Peterson for 13th highest among pitchers with at least
100 innings last year.
José Ureña pitched 109 innings last year for the
Rangers with a 3.80 ERA over nine starts and 24 relief appearances.
He was significantly better in his relief
outings with a 2.92 ERA in 64 2/3 innings.
Andy Martino @martinonyc
Jose Urena signing a nice little move for Mets,
cost effective way to cover innings with some upside. Team is taxed 110% on
every dollar spent because they're over "Cohen Tax" threshold.
Impacts decisions on players like Quintana. Stearns made his name building
pitching staffs.
In summation… I’m not sure where this piece
fits. He pitches better out of the pen, but the team need may be a sixth
starter in an extended rotation.
What I do love is he has successful major league experience, including last season. Folks, it's hard to produce an ERA below four when you are throwing the rock at pro bats. It's even harder to do this and produce a below 3.00-ERA, WHICH THIS GUY HAS DONE LAST YEAR OUT OF THE PEN.
Pickups like this one are always good ones. No down side.
Kapish?
7 comments:
No kapish. What if he wants to opt out on March 22nd? Now what?
By no means do I have a problem with the signing, but I don’t see where he can help. Pitchers with low K% are always at risk to get lit up because hits will fall. Like you said, the Mets have several pitchers better than him in the starting rotation and plenty in the bullpen. If he can handle Syracuse in late March, I’d be shocked! What’s the difference between this guy and Pascual Perez last year?
He looks like AAAA 1/2. But his good pen #s in 2024 are interesting.
Urena has a lousy career W-L record, because he's pitched for lousy teams throughout his career. Reminds me of Al Jackson losing 20 with the Mets but having a winning record with St Louis a few years later.
Understand the concern but he’s been successful at the major league level throwing his cutter that generates low velocity ground balls
I'm sure he will opt out if he doesn't get a major league deal
I donno if i kapish on this one. I like the ground ball rate, and I don't care about the low strikeout rate if he keeps the ball in the park, but the contract structure if those opt-out dates are valid puts the Mets (and the player) in an odd position. Three weeks (March 22) is not a lot of time to see what a guy has, and if they are going to give him enough opportunity to figure it out, they are taking innings from somebody else. Unless Megill is injured this guy really doesn't have much of a chance on a minor league contract to break camp. Blackburn and Canning are on MLB deals and neither has opt-outs. I can't see them eating $4M for either of those guys to carry a guy that has a career ERA just south of 5. Do they have an agreement that he will accept the beginning of the season in Syracuse and he won't opt out until May 1 at the earliest?
Continue to hear cricketts on Megill
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