Trevor Williams’ big Mets benefit is ‘a curse to him’

Trevor Williams was on the Mets’ radar final winter as a possible low-cost arm with a strong upside who might assist in the rotation or bullpen.

He signed a one-year cope with the Cubs for $2.5 million.

Now the Mets will get an opportunity to search out out if the 29-year-old righty can assist them, after acquiring him Friday from the Cubs with Javier Baez in a commerce for Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Williams, who went 4-2 with a 5.06 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 13 appearances for the Cubs, was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

“He’s at all times been a man that takes the ball,” performing basic supervisor Zack Scott stated earlier than the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Reds at Citi Area. “He’s going to offer you innings — he’s at all times been an innings-eater kind of man. He’s not afraid, he’s going to assault guys and fairly actually he’s acquired flexibility, he’s acquired a [minor league] choice, which is a profit to us and a curse to him.”

Williams was instructed by Scott to be ready, given the alarming variety of accidents the Mets have sustained inside the rotation this season. There’s additionally the difficulty of pitchers reaching questions on workload following final season’s pandemic shortened season.

Final week, the Mets acquired veteran lefty Wealthy Hill from the Rays to bolster the rotation. The 41-year-old Hill is scheduled to start out his second recreation for the Mets on Saturday.

“You both search for a chance to lift your ceiling or elevate your flooring and people type of strikes for Hill and Williams, these two elevate your flooring the place as a Baez is to lift your ceiling,” Scott stated.

The Mets had a full rotation for the primary time in weeks after Carlos Carrasco returned from the injured listing Friday; Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, Tylor Megill and Hill are the opposite parts. Williams offers an choice aside from the demoted Jerad Eickhoff for the next-in-line function.

The necessity for an additional starter turned extra pronounced when Jacob deGrom was shut down from throwing Friday, which is able to push his potential return into September.

Williams pitched for the Pirates from 2016-20. He had his finest season in 2018, when he went 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA in 31 begins.

The franchise will induct Ron Darling, Jon Matlack and Edgardo Alfonzo into the Mets Corridor of Fame throughout a pregame ceremony Saturday. The three new additions — the primary since 2013 — will deliver the full membership within the Mets Corridor of Fame to 30. As well as, Al Jackson might be posthumously honored with the Mets Corridor of Fame achievement award for contributions to the group. The group was initially scheduled to be celebrated in 2020, however the ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic.

In a flurry of roster strikes, pitchers Akeem Bostick and Nick Tropeano had been designated for project and Sean Reid-Foley was transferred to the 60-day injured listing. Eickhoff and Roel Ramirez had been assigned outright to Triple-A Syracuse.

The Mets have used 56 gamers by way of 101 video games this yr, tying a franchise document for many gamers utilized in a season. The MLB document for many gamers utilized in a season is 67 by the Mariners in 2019. The Mariners entered Friday with 57 gamers used, probably the most within the main leagues.