The Mets assigned left-hander Brandon Waddell outright to Triple-A yesterday, as famous by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Waddell had been designated for task earlier this week to make room for catcher Drew Romo on the 40-man roster.
Waddell, 31, returned to the majors for the primary time since 2021 this 12 months. Previous to the 2025 season, Waddell had pitched 12 2/3 MLB innings throughout 4 totally different organizations throughout the 2020-21 seasons. He posted a 5.68 ERA and 6.41 FIP throughout that point. His outcomes have been significantly better this time round, as he delivered a strong sufficient 3.45 ERA with a 4.54 FIP throughout 31 1/3 innings of labor as an extended reduction arm for the Mets this 12 months. Whereas Waddell’s top-level run prevention numbers weren’t dangerous, the peripherals advised a distinct story. A 16.4% strikeout charge left a lot to be desired, and the lefty’s 37.4% floor ball charge, 10.0% barrel charge, and eight.2% stroll charge have been nothing to jot down house about both.
Waddell’s time with the Mets got here on the heels of a three-year run of strong work within the KBO league, the place he pitched for the Doosan Bears. In 43 KBO begins, Waddell posted a 2.98 ERA whereas posting a good 21.1% strikeout charge and producing grounders on greater than 50% of his batted balls. It was a way more encouraging profile over all than the one he flashed within the majors with the Mets this previous 12 months, and Waddell’s 5.02 ERA in 75 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2025 supply little encouragement headed into 2026. Whereas the lefty won’t look to be a strong rotation choice like different KBO pitchers (akin to Erick Fedde and his high quality efficiency for the White Sox and Cardinals in 2024) have confirmed themselves to be prior to now, he’s a superbly helpful non-roster depth piece for the Mets.
That’s what he’ll be headed into 2026, although given the unsure state of the Mets’ pitching employees it’s not unimaginable to think about accidents permitting Waddell to drive his manner again onto the MLB roster sooner or later subsequent 12 months if he can flip his numbers at Triple-A round. After all, that may rely upon the membership’s strikes going ahead this winter. It’s potential the crew might make rotation additions that might push children like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat into depth roles themselves, minimizing Waddell’s alternatives to get again to the majors. With that mentioned, it’s additionally not unimaginable to think about those self same younger hurlers getting mentioned in commerce talks, and a commerce of 1 or each of these younger righties might make Waddell one of many crew’s prime non-roster depth arms alongside Robert Inventory.
