Jamie Callahan was the most league ready player the Mets got in the 2017 Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox. That trade brought the Mets young and untested Stephen Nogosek (who represented the Mets in the AFL this year), flamethrower Gerson Bautista (who made his debut this year in the majors and also played in the AFL this fall) and Jamie Callahan who made his major league debut in 2017 at the age of 22.
Last week the Mets outrighted Callahan off the 40-man roster and Jamie elected for free agency instead. How did we get here?
Jamie had a long trip up the minors after being drafted in 2012 by the Red Sox. He struggled as a starter and eventually the Red Sox switched him to be a reliever in 2016. That year he posted a 3.29 ERA over 36 games and 66 innings while posting a 1.39 WHIP and holding batters to a .218 average.
The next year, before being traded, he posted a 1.38 ERA in AA with the Red Sox over 10 games and 13 innings earning a promotion where he posted a 4.03 ERA over 22 games and 29.0 innings. Unlike most players, he was successful in Vegas posting a 1.80 ERA over 9 games and 10 innings getting a call up to the majors where he posted a respectable 4.05 ERA over 6.2 innings in 9 games. It looked like Callahan was going to have a future with the Mets, mainly because his velocity over the last 3 years increased. BA reports it went from 92-95 to 95-97 and sometimes touched 99.
He struggled early in Vegas this year, posting a 9.72 ERA over 7 game sand 8.1 innings and eventually elected season ending shoulder surgery.
It is not known yet if he will be ready for spring training, which led to the Mets outrighting him. Now he’s a free agent with no definitive sign when he’ll be ready.
My gut says the Mets will try to sign him to a new deal. They’ll have to hope that no one else wants to roll the dice with him.
