The New York Mets designated veteran pitcher Julio Teheran for assignment just four days after they signed him, transaction records show.
The Mets signed Teheran on Friday after starting pitcher Tylor Megill went on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. They announced Teheran’s cut in a Tuesday tweet.
We’ve selected the contract of RHP Dedniel Núñez from Triple-A Syracuse and designated RHP Julio Teheran for assignment.
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 9, 2024
Teheran started one game, against his longtime former club the Atlanta Braves, pitching two and two-thirds innings while giving up four runs for six hits. Though the Mets would ultimately come back and win the game, Teheran’s lackluster performance was clearly not enough to keep him around.
The Mets handed Teheran a contract worth up to $2.5 million, however, it was non-guaranteed so he only made money for the time he spent on the roster. After four days, that total is around $54,000, according to Newsday’s Tim Healey.
To clarify for those who have wondered: Julio Teheran’s $2.5 million contract was non-guaranteed.
So he gets a pro-rated portion based on days spent on the roster (four).
Thus, the Mets paid him about $54,000.
(Still not a bad week of work!) https://t.co/2hsWQP6f7A
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 9, 2024
No word yet on whether or not Teheran will accept his assignment. If he does, he will likely report to the Mets triple-A affiliate the Syracuse Mets. Though veterans in these situations typically refuse assignment and become free agents in the hopes of finding a new team. (RELATED: Budding MLB Superstar Saves Game With Heroic Home Run Robbery)
This whole situation has me freaking livid. The Mets came into 2024 with the highest payroll in the MLB, a whopping $311 million and some change, according to Spotrac. And yet, despite this, they host one of the least frightening starting rotations in the MLB.
Part of that is because some of the money on the books is from aging starters they traded away last season, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. They agreed to eat a chunk of those contracts in order to get back high-upside minor-league prospects. I’m fine with that.
What I’m not fine with is the MLB’s richest owner refusing to spend more to bolster a middling rotation when there are studs like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery withering on the vine.
The rotation is so lacking of a star that we had to sign Julio Teheran to a Major League deal??? The guy was so bad they couldn’t even give him a week on the team. And yet Steve Cohen and his fat wallet didn’t make a move to sign a star pitcher.
It just doesn’t make sense to penny-pinch when you’re already way over the salary cap threshold. Yes, it’s true. Every dollar Cohen spends on free agency after going over that threshold gets 100% taxed. But frankly, I don’t care. If you’re in for a penny, go in for a pound.
