The Mets introduced Wednesday that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera to a minor league contract with an invite to main league spring coaching.
Cabrera, 28, has spent his profession so far with the Cardinals and Blue Jays. The hard-throwing southpaw turned in 62 2/3 innings of three.59 ERA for Toronto in 2024 however did so with a below-average 18.5% strikeout fee and bloated 10.7% stroll fee. Command has constantly been a problem for Cabrera, who’s by no means walked fewer than 10% of his opponents in a single season.
Even with clear sub-par command, nonetheless, Cabrera has sometimes remained efficient. He carries a 3.89 ERA in 275 2/3 massive league innings and has usually discovered himself in leverage spots, compiling 67 holds and 5 saves so far. His 2024 season in Toronto featured a career-low common velocity on his four-seamer (95.9 mph), although his 96 mph common sinker was up barely from his 2022-23 ranges (however down from a 97.7 mph peak). Final yr’s strikeout fee was the second-worst of his profession.
The observe file and velocity with Cabrera are each intriguing, even when his command has all the time been poor and his 2024 had some notable purple flags. There’s no threat for the Mets to carry him to camp as a non-roster participant and see if he pitches his means right into a bullpen spot. For the time being, the one left-handed reliever on the Mets’ 40-man roster is Danny Younger, so there’s definitely room so as to add some depth and probably some extra certainty in that regard because the offseason progresses.
