Inside The Mets

Former New York Mets pitcher claimed by lowly AL club

Former Mets prospect Mike Vasil, lost in the Rule 5 Draft, joins the White Sox after not making the Rays' Opening Day roster.

John Sparaco

Oct 7, 2022; Peoria, Arizona, USA; New York Mets pitcher Mike Vasil plays for the Peoria Javelinas during an Arizona Fall League baseball game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2022; Peoria, Arizona, USA; New York Mets pitcher Mike Vasil plays for the Peoria Javelinas during an Arizona Fall League baseball game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets almost had an opportunity to reacquire one of the prospects they lost in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. Instead, he is on the move for the third time since December.

On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox announced they had claimed right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. Vasil was previously traded to Tampa Bay hours after the Philadelphia Phillies selected him with the 14th pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

If Vasil had cleared waivers, he would have been offered back to the Mets for $50,000, per Rule 5 stipulations. The same rules will apply for the remainder of the season, even if he is acquired by another team via trade or waivers: Vasil can be outrighted to the minors only if he passes through waivers and his original club, the Mets, does not wish to reacquire him.

Vasil, 25, was an eighth-round pick by the Mets in 2021. He impressed in the lower levels of the minors and rose as high as New York's No. 11 prospect in 2023, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander posted a 3.71 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 10.1 K/9 over 51 Double-A innings in 2023 before earning a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he went 4-4 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 16 starts. His struggles continued at that level in 2024, as he finished 8-10 with a 6.04 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 7.3 K/9 in 29 appearances (27 starts).

He spent Spring Training in Tampa, posting a 5.91 ERA in 10.2 innings of work, which did not land him a spot on the Rays’ Opening Day roster. However, he did toss three shutout innings against the Mets in his final Grapefruit League outing.

Vasil now joins an organization in clear need of innings after a historic 41-121 losing season. Of the current names expected to lead the White Sox rotation in 2025, only one—Martín Pérez—has made more than 21 starts in a big league season.

Read More: New York Mets trade Rule 5 Draft selection to Seattle Mariners

Barring any changes in the next few days, Vasil will be on Chicago’s 26-man Opening Day roster and is expected to make his MLB debut soon. Fellow Rule 5 selection Shane Smith is also being carried on the club’s roster to open the season, so both could contribute in long relief and potentially earn spots at the back end of the rotation.

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John Sparaco
JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Mets website On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco

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