Chris Flexen Released by The New York Mets in Surprising Move
In a surprising move, the New York Mets have announced the release of right-hander Chris Flexen. The 29-year-old pitcher was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners just over a week ago following a challenging season.
Flexen had posted a 7.71 ERA in 42 innings for Seattle, which led to him losing his roster spot. This development marks a significant shift in the trajectory of Chris Flexen’s career with the Mets.
Following his designation by the Mariners, Flexen was traded to the New York Mets in what essentially amounted to a salary dump for the Mariners. Flexen, who is earning $8MM this year, had almost half of that amount still to be paid out.
The Mets agreed to take on this financial burden in order to acquire right-hander Trevor Gott. However, they promptly designated Flexen for assignment again. And have now released him, adding another twist to the saga of Chris Flexen’s time with the Mets.
The Journey of Chris Flexen to The New York Mets
Under normal circumstances, players with less than five years of service time cannot reject an outright assignment while retaining their salary.
However, players coming from international leagues often have clauses in their contracts. That allow them to circumvent these service time rules. It has been confirmed that Flexen could not be sent to the minors without his consent, which led to his release.
As a result of this, the the New York Mets will remain responsible for the remainder of his salary for the rest of the season.
Despite his struggles this year, Flexen may attract interest from other clubs based on his previous performance. In 2020, he moved to Korea to pitch for the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization.
His impressive performance there, which included a 3.01 ERA over 21 starts, led to a two-year deal with the Mariners. Over 2021 and 2022, he pitched 317 1/3 innings with a 3.66 ERA, triggering an $8MM vesting option for 2023.
Given the current injuries affecting various clubs’ pitching staffs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of them give Flexen a chance to recapture his previous form.
