New York Mets Retain Struggling Reliever After Initially Placing Him On Waivers

The veteran right-hander will have to make adjustments in Syracuse

Scott Neville | Jun 4, 2023

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New York Mets

The New York Mets were able to retain a veteran reliever while clearing him off the 40-man roster on Friday.

Just days after the Mets designated right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis for assignment, he'll be returning to the organization, according to the Major League Baseball transaction wire.

The 31-year-old cleared waivers and will head to Triple-A Syracuse to work on his craft while he awaits another opportunity.

The Mets meanwhile, were able to keep him around while opening a spot on the 40-man roster to make room for fellow right-handed reliever Vinny Nittoli -- who was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Mets on Friday and will now join Yacabonis in Syracuse.

Yacabonis posted a 9.00 ERA with an 8-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .316 batting average against and 1.78 WHIP in nine innings of work this season.

The veteran has plenty of experience at the MLB level but has never truly found success. He's posted a 6.24 ERA with a 104-to-74 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .286 batting average against and 1.70 WHIP in 127 innings across his six-year career. Those numbers are poor across the board and leave little to be excited about.

The Mets' bullpen situation has been below average to date and they would be smart to make additional moves in the trade market to enhance the position group.

Nittoli is a start but serves as more of a depth move than an impactful one. Yacabonis should be considered nothing more than an emergency option should injuries plague the team.

Published Jun 4, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville is the publisher of Inside The Red Sox and Inside The Cardinals, as seen on Sports Illustrated. Before running his own sites, Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." Now Neville is adding the New York market to his arsenal as well as Boston and St. Louis. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu