Neil Ramirez clears waivers, elects free agency

Neil Ramirez, after being designated for assignment by the Mets last week, has cleared waivers and elected free agency, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The veteran right-hander was sent down to make space on the roster for Josh Smoker on July 20th.

Ramirez signed a major league deal with the Mets on May 16th, after being released by the Blue Jays, who claimed him from waivers from the Giants earlier this season. Ramirez appeared in 20 games for the Mets, giving up 20 hits, striking out 26, and walking 17, with a 6.43 ERA. As was true before the Mets signed him, he still has the ability to miss bats at a decent rate, averaging 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. But when he gets hit, he tends to get hit hard, as evidenced by his four home runs and five doubles given up in 21 innings for the Mets.

Due to the injury to Jeurys Familia and the potential trade interest in Addison Reed and Jerry Blevins, and the general ineffectiveness of some of the other relievers, the Mets’ bullpen is very much still a work in progress. The fact that the Mets did not have a spot for Ramirez is indicative at just how poor he has been this season.