Mets sign Vance Worley to minor league deal

The New York Mets have signed eight-year major league veteran pitcher Vance Worley to a minor league contract. Worley was signed by the Reds in January and spent all of spring training with the club. After a rocky spring, in which he wasn’t selected to join the big league squad, he exercised his opt-out clause on April 2.

Worley most recently appeared with the Miami Marlins last season. Across 24 appearances and 12 starts, he put up a 6.91 ERA, a 1.80 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, and -1.3 bWAR. Before last season, he had a good three-year stretch between his time with the Pirates and Orioles, pitching to the tune of a 3.38 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 3.98 FIP over 269 innings pitched.

Worley’s best, and probably most memorable, work came with the Phillies as the fifth starter in their dominant rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt. His best season, performance-wise, was 2011, when he had a 3.01 ERA, a 3.32 FIP, and a 1.23 WHIP in 131.2 innings. While his follow-up season wasn’t as good, it was certainly a nice showing as he went 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA over his 23 starts.

Worley may not be immediately useful for the Mets, but he could find himself coming out of the bullpen for the team later this season, similar to the role that Bud Norris has taken up for the Angels and Cardinals.