Mets Sign RHP Dylan Covey to Major League Deal
The offseason is officially here for Major League Baseball, and the offseason transactions are starting to come in, including the New York Mets. On Thursday, they announced they signed right-handed pitcher Dylan Covey to a one-year major league contract.
The 33-year-old righty split the 2023 season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. He was 1-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 29 games and 43 innings pitched. He had 30 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.51.
He missed most of the 2024 season with a shoulder strain. He began rehab in late July and had a 2.66 ERA in 20 1/3 minor league innings, all with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He split those appearances between Clearwater, Reading and Lehigh Valley. During his minor league appearances, he threw a mixture of sinkers (46%), cutters (22%), splitters (19%), and sliders (13%). His fastball velocity was up to 97 mph.
Prior to playing with the Dodgers and Phillies, Covey also spent time in the American League with the Red Sox and White Sox.
Overall, his career record is 7-32 with a 6.18 ERA in 100 games and 307 1/3 innings pitched.
The Mets recently signed right-hander Chris Devenski to a minor league deal.
Soler stood as one of the most obvious trade candidates in all of baseball this offseason, given his defensive limitations and the presence of Marcell Ozuna in Atlanta. The Braves acquired him as something of a desperation move at the deadline, needing help for an injury-ravaged lineup. The plan always seemed to be stomaching Soler in the outfield for a couple of months and pursuing a trade in the offseason (hence Soler ranking prominently on our list of the top 35 trade candidates of the 2024-25 offseason).
The 32-year-old Soler (33 in February) will add a thunderous bat and defensively limited skill set to the Angels’ roster. He inked a three-year, $42MM deal with the Giants last winter on the heels of a 36-homer campaign in Miami and has now been traded twice in the first year of the contract. That isn’t for lack of production, however. To the contrary, Soler enjoyed a solid season at the plate, slashing .241/.338/.442 in 142 games. He was particularly productive from June onward, catching fire with a .263/.366/.489 batting line and clubbing 15 of his 21 homers in that span of 386 plate appearances.