The deal includes an invite to big league camp.
The World Series has not yet concluded, but the Mets have made their opening move of the offseason, signing reliever Chris Devenski to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp.
An All-Star in 2017 with the Astros in the aftermath of a successful rookie season in 2016 in which he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, Devenski has struggled since, bouncing around a few different organizations in his thirties. In 19 appearances over 26 2⁄3 big league innings for the Rays this season, he put up a 6.75 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. He was released by the Rays in late June and picked up by the Mariners on July 2. He fared much better in Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 2.35 ERA over 23 appearances.
Devenski’s changeup is his signature pitch and it generates a lot of whiffs, which is why the Rays were having him throw it more often than his four-seam fastball, but perhaps as a result, he also walked 4.7 batters per nine innings with Tampa in 2024. He was also hit quite hard, giving up three home runs per nine innings with a horrific .547 expected slugging percentage against him.
This signing very much fits the David Stearns mold of acquiring a bunch of guys with interesting stuff who may be intriguing reclamation projects. The nine-year major league veteran will likely be among the many such relief arms in camp that will compete for spots in the Opening Day bullpen in 2025.