The Mets made a roster move on Tuesday night, designating left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady for assignment to make room for newly acquired utility man Vidal Bruján. It’s a move that speaks more to roster flexibility than anything else, but it does put Lovelady’s future with the club in question - at least in the short term.
Lovelady, who signed a split contract earlier this offseason, was always walking a tightrope when it came to holding onto a 40-man spot. The deal gave him a $1 million salary if he stuck in the majors, and a $350,000 rate in the minors - a structure designed to keep him in the organization even if he got bumped off the roster.
Since he’s out of minor league options, the Mets would need to pass him through waivers to send him to Triple-A. If he clears, he can elect free agency, but he’d be giving up that guaranteed salary, so there’s a built-in incentive to stay put.
The 30-year-old southpaw saw limited big league action in 2023, tossing 11 2/3 innings between the Mets and Blue Jays. The results?
Not exactly what you'd want from a bullpen arm trying to carve out a role. He allowed 11 earned runs, walked six, and hit four batters.
The strikeout stuff was still there - 12 punchouts in those 11-plus innings - but the command issues inflated his ERA and left little room for error. His career ERA now sits at 5.35 over 111 innings.
But here’s where things get interesting: Lovelady was much sharper in Triple-A last year. In 38 innings, he posted a sparkling 1.66 ERA while striking out over 26% of the batters he faced. That kind of production isn’t easy to ignore, especially from a left-hander, and it’s likely why the Mets are hoping he clears waivers and sticks around as organizational depth.
As things stand, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley are expected to be the two lefties in Carlos Mendoza’s bullpen when Opening Day rolls around. Lovelady wasn’t cracking that duo unless something unexpected happened, but he remains a valuable depth piece - especially in a long season where bullpen attrition is inevitable.
Now it’s a waiting game. If he clears waivers, Lovelady could head to Triple-A and be one call away.
If another team sees value in the lefty’s minor league dominance and believes they can iron out the control issues, he may get another shot elsewhere. Either way, it’s a reminder of how quickly things can shift on the fringes of a major league roster - and how important those depth decisions can become down the stretch.