Mets DFA Offseason Pitching Depth Pickup to Make Room for Ryne Stanek

The New York Mets have parted ways with an offseason pitching addition to make space on the roster for newly signed Ryne Stanek.

Sep 18, 2023; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher relief pitcher Dylan Covey (54) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have officially announced the roster move that will be made to make room for newly signed reliever Ryne Stanek.

On Thursday, the Mets designated right-handed relief pitcher Dylan Covey for assignment. Covey, 33, was signed to a one-year major league contract by the Mets on October 31, 2024, but will depart the organization without having pitched an inning in orange and blue.

The Mets designated RHP Dylan Covey for assignment for room on the 40-man roster after re-signing reliever Ryne Stanek.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 30, 2025

Covey spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, but would not appear in a game due to a right shoulder strain that landed him on the Injured List out of Spring Training. On August 27, Covey was removed from the Phillies' 40-man roster and outrighted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. At the end of the 2024 season, the right-hander elected to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Oakland Athletics drafted Covey in the fourth round of the 2013 June MLB Amateur Draft. He never played a game for Oakland, however, as he was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft in 2016. Across 100 career MLB games, Covey has a 7-32 record with a 6.18 ERA and 1.58 WHIP; the righty has primarily played for the White Sox (three seasons), while making brief stints with the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Phillies.

With the addition of Stanek, the Mets have added another strong late-inning arm to slot in ahead of closer Edwin Diaz. This will be Stanek’s second season in Queens after playing in 17 games for the Mets last season; he was traded to New York from the Seattle Mariners for prospect Rylan Thomas on July 26, 2024. New York also recently signed former Atlanta Braves high-leverage left-handed pitcher A.J. Minter to a two-year deal worth $22 million.

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