The Mets have signed right-hander Kevin Herget to a minor league contract, and announced that the reliever has been selected to the active roster. Left-hander Brandon Waddell was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding transaction.
Herget is back in Queens after a stint on the Braves roster that lasted a little under two months. The Mets claimed Herget away from the Brewers during the offseason, but he was designated for assignment in mid-May and found himself changing teams again on the waiver wire when Atlanta made a claim. Herget was DFA’ed again last weekend and elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Braves’ Triple-A club (he had the right to choose free agency since Herget had previously been outrighted in his career). Amidst all these roster moves, Herget hasn’t spent much time on a big league mound this season, as he has made a single appearance apiece for the Mets and Braves at the MLB level.
The right-hander now has 26 appearances and 45 2/3 innings on his career resume in the majors, with a 4.53 ERA to show for his work with the Rays, Reds, and Brewers in addition to New York and Atlanta. The 34-year-old Herget has carved out a long career in pro ball since being a 39th-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2013 draft. Most of his career has been spent in the St. Louis farm system, and Herget has a 4.00 ERA over 505 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level. This includes a 3.26 ERA, 21.6% strikeout rate, and eight percent walk rate over 30 1/3 combined innings with the Mets’ and Braves’ Triple-A affiliates in 2025.
It could be that Herget’s latest stint in the Show might be another cameo, as his addition gives the Mets a fresh arm over the short term. Waddell pitched 3 2/3 innings in yesterday’s 8-4 loss to the Reds and wouldn’t have been available for a few days anyway, so he can rest up and get some work in for Triple-A Syracuse. New York can’t recall Waddell back to the 26-man roster for at least 10 days, barring an injury to an active player.