Mets recall controversial former SF Giants reliever Sam Coonrod

The New York Mets recalled former Philadelphia Phillies and SF Giants relief pitcher Sam Coonrod from Triple-A on Tuesday.

The New York Mets recalled former SF Giants and Philadelphia Phillies right-handed reliever Sam Coonrod from Triple-A on Tuesday. Coonrod has missed most of the season with a lat strain, although he was optioned to the minors after a short stint with New York. Coonrod has a 1.69 ERA in seven big-league appearances this year with the Mets but has been hit pretty hard (9.31 ERA) across 11 minor-league appearances.

Mets reliever Sam Coonrod pitches during spring training against the Astros. (2023) / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Coonrod was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Southern Illinois. He came up through the organization's farm system as a starting pitcher before plateauing in the upper minors. After he was shifted to a bullpen role, Coonrod found more success and made his MLB debut in 2019. 

In 2020, at the height of Black Lives Matter protests throughout the country, Coonrod became a national storyline for refusing to participate in a "Moment of Unity" following the protests. During the pregame festivities, every member of the Dodgers and Giants roster and coaching staff took the field holding a piece of a black chord and knelt together before the playing of the national anthem. Most people stood for the playing of the song, but Coonrod was the only person not to hold the cord at all. When he explained his decision, he was very critical of the Black Lives Matter organization in his comments.

"I'm a Christian, like I said, and I just can't get on board with a couple of things that I have read about Black Lives Matter," Coonrod said. "How they lean toward Marxism, and they've said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can't get on board with that."

Coonrod finished out the 2020 season with the Giants and notoriously blew multiple saves late in the season as San Francisco went on to miss the playoffs by one game. Following his tumultuous campaign, he was traded to the Phillies for right-handed pitching prospect Carson Ragsdale. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the team's decision to trade Coonrod did not have to do with his political statements. Over his tenure with the Giants, Coonrod posted a 5.74 ERA in 51 appearances.

With Philadelphia from 2021-22, Coonrod appeared in 54 games, pitching 55.0 innings with a 4.91 ERA. In April of 2022, he injured his shoulder and was out until August. His 2022 performance with the team was far worse than in 2021, and after the season, he was designated for assignment. The Mets claimed him off waivers shortly after.