Mets cut Shreve, give Matz $5.1M, finalize May’s $15.5M deal
NEW YORK — Relief pitcher Chasen Shreve became a free agent when the New York Mets declined to offer him a 2021 contract by Wednesday night’s deadline.
New York agreed to a $5.1 million, one-year deal with left-hander Steven Matz and finalized its $15.5 million, two-year contract with free-agent reliever Trevor May.
The Mets also announced one-year deals with outfielder Guillermo Heredia, who provides depth in center, and right-handed reliever Jacob Barnes.
New York did not offer contracts to right-handers Nick Tropeano, Paul Sewald and Ariel Jurado. Tropeano was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh in October.
Shreve, a 30-year-old left-hander, was 1-0 with a 3.96 ERA over 17 appearances in his only season with the Mets, striking out 34 and walking 12 in 25 innings while allowing 17 hits. He earned $ 5 56,5 56 in prorated pay from his $1.5 million salary.
Shreve is a veteran of seven major league seasons with Atlanta (2014), the New York Yankees (2015-18), St. Louis (2018-19) and the Mets, going 17-8 with a 3.74 ERA in 235 relief appearances. He was traded by the Yankees with right-hander Giovanny Gallegos to the Cardinals for first baseman Luke Voit in July 2018, then became a free agent after the 2019 season.
Matz, a 29-year-old lefthander, had the poorest of his six seasons, go ing 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA while earning $ 1,851,852 in prorated pay from a $ 5 million salar y. He was dropped from the rotation after starting 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in five starts, then made three relief appearances along with a spot start. He is 31-41 with a 4.3 5 ERA over 107 career starts and five relief appearances.
May, a 31-year-old righthander, had a 3.86 ERA in 24 relief appearances for the Minnesota Twins last season, striking out 38 and walking seven in 23 1/3 innings while allowing 20 hits with a career-high fastball velocity averaging 96.66 mph. He earned $ 816,667 in prorated pay from a salar y of
$ 2 ,205,000.
May had spent all six big league seasons with the Twins, go ing 23-21 with a 4.44 ERA in 26 starts and 189 relief appearances.
He made 16 starts in 2015, go ing 8-9 with a 4.00 ERA over 48 appearances. May had Tommy John surger y on March 22 , 2017, and returned to the major leagues on July 31, 2018.
May figures to join a bullpen that includes closer Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Miguel Castro, Dellin Betances, Brad Brach and Barnes.
Mets relievers tied for 18th in the majors with a 4.60 ERA last season and the team had seven blown saves in 18 chances.
New York’s front office is being run by Sandy Alderson, who returned to the Mets as team president last month on the day Steve Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families.
CESSA AGREES TO $1 MILLION, 1-YEAR DEAL WITH YANKEES
NEW YORK — Righthander Luis Cessa and the New York Yankees avoided salary arbitration when they agreed to a $ 1 million, one-year contract before the deadline to offer 2021 contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters.
New York also agreed to a one-year deal with righthander Ben Heller, who gets $ 625,000 in the majors and $ 225,000 in the minors.
The Yankees allowed right-hander Jonathan Holder to become a free agent, declining to offer a 2021 contract.
Cessa missed the start of the season after testing positive for COVID-19 and made his debut on Aug. 5 . The 28- year-old righthand er had a 3.32 ERA with no decisions in 16 relief appearance sand 21 2/3 innings, striking out 17, walking seven and allowing 20 hits. C essa made $331,481 in pro rated pay from an $895,000 salary.
C essa is 7-12 with a 4.40 ERA in 19 starts and 83 relief appearances over five seasons with the Yankees. He is eligible for free agency after the 2023 season.
Heller. 29, had a 3.00 ERA in six relief appearances, striking out six and walking two in six innings. He was ejected on Sept. 2 after hitting Tampa Bay’s Hunter Renfroe on his leg with a 95 fast ball, a day after New York closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fast ball over Mike Brosseau’s head, drawing a suspension.
Holder, 27, was 3-0 with a 4.98 ERA in 18 relief appearances, striking out 11 and walking 11 in 21 2/3 innings. He spent parts of the last five seasons with the Yankees.