The Mets will recall right-hander Justin Hagenman to pitch in tomorrow’s series finale in Minnesota, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (video via SNY). It’s still undecided whether he’ll start the game or work behind an opener, but he’ll make his major league debut. Hagenman is already on the 40-man roster after signing a major league free agent contract last offseason.
Griffin Canning was lined up for the start but came down with an illness. He’ll be pushed back by a couple days. The Mets will need to option out a pitcher to make room on the active roster. As Tim Britton of The Athletic observed this evening, they’ll likely use a roster technicality.
A pitcher who is optioned must spend at least 15 days in the minors unless he’s recalled as the corresponding move for another player going on the injured list. The Mets lost center fielder Jose Siri to a broken leg last night. They elected not to put him on the IL today because of the Canning situation. They can recall Hagenman while optioning a reliever — Max Kranick is a logical choice after he threw 31 pitches tonight — and then recall that reliever on Thursday as the corresponding move for Siri’s IL placement. They’d probably option Hagenman back out after his spot appearance and call up an outfielder at that point.
Hagenman, 28, gets the call after pitching parts of four seasons in Triple-A. He was drafted by the Dodgers out of Penn State back in 2018. He got as high as Triple-A in the L.A. system before being traded to the Red Sox at the 2023 deadline as part of a package for Enrique Hernández. Hagenman spent a season and a half in the Boston farm system but never received a call-up. He qualified for minor league free agency when the Red Sox opted not to put him on their 40-man roster at the end of last season.
The Mets signed him to a split deal that pays $225K while he’s in Triple-A and comes with a prorated $850K salary for whatever time he spends in the big leagues. The 6’3″ righty struck out seven without a walk over eight innings in Spring Training. He’s had a tougher start to the season at Triple-A Syracuse. Hagenman has surrendered 11 runs (eight earned) on 15 hits and four home runs through 10 2/3 innings. His most recent start came on April 10, though, so he’s a fresh arm who can provide multiple innings in a pinch.
Hagenman owns a 4.56 ERA through 240 2/3 career innings at the top minor league level. He has struck out a solid 24.5% of batters faced against a 7.8% walk rate. His sinker is averaging 91 MPH, while he’s also using a pair of low-80s breaking pitches and a changeup in the 85 MPH range.
Yup
Seems like a work in process. His numbers aren’t that special or hopeful of a successful debut.
Best of luck if you make it into the game.
Oh, he’s certainly pitching. I would just go ahead and start him if it was me… who knows, maybe he’ll do well and give them four or five decent innings. The Twins don’t have a great lineup to begin with, and two of their top hitters left to injury tonight, so Hagenman has a chance to do OK.
He would do better pitching against the Mets than he will pitching for the Mets, if history is any guide…
Why did this guy need a split contract to sign? Surprised it wasn’t just a straight minor league pact
It’s because he’s considered a little better than an ostensibly less talented minor league FA who’d make the minimum, about $51,000 a year, so to sign him you have to pay him a little more. Hagenman instead makes at least $225,000 for the year, more than that now that he’s getting called up.
As for why they’re calling up a guy who gives up home runs at the same rate a big kid eats popcorn during a movie, it should be because they don’t want to burn an option on a real prospect who they don’t otherwise plan to bring up in 2025.
This rates to be about as exciting as the 2.2 innings Julio Teheran gave the Mets in 2024 before they realized how bad he had become.