The New York Mets used Xzavion Curry off and on during the season, but now he's gone.
The New York Mets have sent reliever Xzavion Curry to the club’s Florida Complex League after designating him for assignment earlier this week, according to a report from Charlie Wright of MLBTradeRumors.com.
Curry opened the season in the Mexican League, and he signed a minor league deal with the Mets after New York began to struggle early in the season. The right hander spent the rest of the season riding the Syracuse shuttle, as he was up and down depending on the team's needs and his performance level during a given stretch.
Curry had his moments, but this move isn’t surprising at all. His overall ERA was 5.48, so he’ll almost certainly be looking for a new MLB opportunity during the winter of the lockout.
There’s still a chance the Mets could sign him as a depth piece and potential innings-eater going forward, but New York had success finding relievers who performed well after trading off half their bullpen, and they’ll probably be looking to set up something more stable. Curry is still just 28 and he does throw hard, so if he can improve his command he should get a good opportunity elsewhere.
One thing that is certain is that the Mets will be going young with their rotation. They put together a nice corp of starters, with Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton and Christian Scott all looking like future pieces, and Jonah Tong is close to being in the same category based on his progress late in the season.
The two pitchers who could alter this equation are veterans Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga. Senga had a tough season, but he did find success latel in the year as a closer and reliever. But he’s made it clear he wants to start, so he could be a throw-in in a trade if the Mets want to eat some of the $15 million he’s owed next year.
Manaea isn’t as much of a variable, but he, too, is part of this. He had some success as a starter in the back of rotation, but he also spent time as a long reliever, so the left-hander could be part of the bullpen mix as well.
The Mets did make an accompanying move after they let Curry go, as they picked up left-hander Philip Abner off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, per Wright. His fate is more uncertain given that the season is nearly over, but their may be opportunities for him next year as well.
