Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
Chasen Shreve, a lefty from the College of Southern Nevada, was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2010 draft. He made his major league with the Braves in 2014. Before the next season, he was traded to the Yankees where he stayed for several years before he was traded in a deadline deal in 2018 to the Cardinals in the same deal that brought Luke Voit to the Bronx. He became a free agent at the end of last season before signing with the Mets.
In his career since 2014, he has pitched in 218 games with 203.2 innings posting a 3.71 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 1.375 WHIP with a 114 ERA+. He didn’t see significant playing time in 2019 at the major league level. Back in 2018 he pitched in 40 games and 38.0 innings with a 4.26 ERA.
He did see a lot of action in the minors last year, pitching in 51 games and 60.0 innings with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.183 WHIP.
So where does he fit with the Mets?
The Mets still don’t have a lot of leftys in the pen on the 40 man roster. Shreve gives the Mets a chance to catch lightning in a jar. If gets off to a good start and the Mets need to make a change in Queens, and if the Mets have room on the 40-man roster, he would allow the Mets to try someone at Queens without burning another player’s options. If he has a good spring and has a good start in Syracuse, it’s probable that we see him at some point in Queens this year.
This is a lot of ifs. There are always a lot of ifs we we talk about veteran players on NRIs trying to break their way onto the 40 man roster. There is also a chance that he has a really good spring, doesn’t make the roster, and asks to be released (Mesoraco). I guess we’ll see what happens over the next month.
