Mets designate Kevin McGowan for assignment

After allowing Jay Bruce to re-introduce himself to the public earlier today, the Mets designated right-handed pitcher Kevin McGowan for assignment to make room for Bruce on their 40-man roster. Given the construction of that roster, the move is not all that surprising.

Drafted by the Mets in the 13th round back in 2013, McGowan steadily rose through the team’s minor league ranks before making his major league debut last year. He threw just 8.2 innings for the Mets but had a 5.19 ERA and 6.39 FIP over that span. It was an incredibly small sample, but he struggled with walks and home runs at the major league level. He spent the grand majority of his year pitching out of the Triple-A bullpen in Las Vegas, where he threw 65.0 innings with a respectable 4.15 ERA and 4.77 FIP.

By designating McGowan for assignment, the Mets risk having another team claim him off waivers, assuming they don’t trade him. But if he hits waivers and clears, the Mets will be able to hold on to him and assign him to the minors, presumably back to Las Vegas.