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Trevor May

Trevor May Announces Retirement

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Right-handed reliever Trevor May announced his retirement from professional baseball on his Twitch channel earlier today. His full comments can be found here. The 34-year-old spent the 2023 campaign with the Athletics, pitching to a 3.28 ERA with a 4.71 FIP in 49 games.

“I have a thousand things that I want to do, a million things… everything that I do outside of the game has just lit me up, and I really enjoy doing it,” May said during his announcement, “I love talking pitching, I love talking about the game, I love teaching people about the game… this is not the end of my relationship with the game of baseball, I just want to go out on my own terms.”

Drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, May made his big league debut as a starting pitcher with the Twins in 2014. His time in the rotation did not go well, as he posted a 5.85 ERA across 26 career stars, almost exclusively concentrated in his first two seasons with Minnesota. After converting to the bullpen in July of 2015, May saw his results improve significantly, as he posted a 3.15 ERA and 3.25 FIP in 34 1/3 innings for the remainder of the season.

That revelation late in the 2014 season led May to convert to the bullpen full-time from 2016 onward, and May went on to be a solid relief option for the Twins over the next five seasons. Though he missed the 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery, May posted a 3.76 ERA and 3.63 FIP in 155 2/3 innings of work while striking out 32.7% of batters faced from 2016 until 2020, his final year in Minnesota. The most impressive of those seasons was May’s 2019 campaign during which he posted a sterling 2.94 ERA, 55% better than league average by measure of ERA+, with a solid 3.73 FIP.

Upon departing the Twins, May signed a two-year deal with the Mets. His first campaign with the club went quite well, as he posted a 3.59 and 3.74 FIP in 62 2/3 innings of work with the club as one of the primary set-up men for closer Edwin Diaz. Unfortunately, 2022 saw May struggle with injuries, as a stress reaction in his humerus sidelined him for most of the season. Ultimately, May departed New York following the 2022 campaign having thrown 87 2/3 innings of 4.00 ERA (100 ERA+) ball with a 3.78 FIP and a 30% strikeout rate.

That led May to the A’s, where he received his first opportunity to act as a club’s primary closer, though he had already picked up 12 saves over his years in Minnesota and Queens. After a difficult start to the season, May spent a month on the injured list due to issues pertaining to anxiety. Upon returning just before Memorial Day, May finished the season in dominant fashion with a 1.99 ERA and 3.92 FIP in 40 1/3 innings of work, though his full-season strikeout (19.5%) and walk (14.1%) rates did not reflect his excellent results. Despite the shaky peripherals, May took to the closer’s role with aplomb, going 21-for-22 in save opportunities throughout the remainder of the season.

Altogether, May posted a 4.24 ERA and 3.79 FIP in 450 1/3 innings of work across nine major league seasons. He finished 102 games while picking up 33 saves and punched out 520 batters in just 358 career games. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate May on a fine career, and wish him well in all of his post-playing endeavors.

A’s Place Ramon Laureano, Trevor May On Injured List

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The A’s announced a series of roster moves Wednesday, placing outfielder Ramon Laureano and righty Trevor May on the 10-day and 15-day injured lists, respectively. Laureano is dealing with a left groin strain, while May has been placed on the injured list for issues pertaining to anxiety. The A’s formally selected the contract of top pitching prospect Mason Miller and recalled infield prospect Jordan Diaz in their place, as had been previously reported. Righty Dany Jimenez was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Miller.

Laureano, 28, is hitting .218/.295/.436 with a pair of homers, four doubles, a triple and two stolen bases through 61 plate appearances this season. He’s already garnered strong marks for his glovework in right field despite the limited amount of innings he’s put in, recording four Defensive Runs Saved on the young season. He’d missed the past couple games due to hamstring soreness, however, and will now miss at least 10 days in total. With Brent Rooker also banged up at the moment, the A’s have Tyler Wade in left field and Conner Capel in right field.

May becomes the third player with a recent IL stint owing to anxiety issues, joining Daniel Bard (who was just activated today) and Austin Meadows, who have both spoken up about their own anxiety issues in recent months. Oakland general manager David Forst provided the following statement on May (Twitter link via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com):

“I commend Trevor for speaking up about his mental health, and for taking action to address it. The whole A’s organization supports him fully and we are committed to giving Trevor whatever time he needs to be ready to return to playing, as well as continued resources to help all our players tackle the physical and mental challenges they face daily.”

May, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Athletics over the winter. He entered the season looking to rebound from an injury-shortened 2022 campaign in which he missed three months with a triceps issue while playing out the second half of a two-year deal signed with the Mets. His results in 2023 are jarring, as the typically steady right-hander has yielded eight runs on 10 hits and an alarming nine walks (two intentional) in six innings. May came into the season with a 7.5% walk rate dating all the way back to 2015, but he’s walked nearly a quarter of his opponents. His strikeout rate, which had topped 30% over the past six years — including a four-year run with a combined 32.7% rate — is sitting at just 16.2%, despite his velocity still clocking in at an average of 95 mph.

There’s no telling how long he’ll be away, but as Forst said, it’s good to see May speak up about his mental health not only to do what’s best for him and the team but also to help others who might be going through similar battles. Our readers might remember May chronicling some of his journey through Tommy John surgery rehabilitation right here at MLBTR, and he’s also graciously taken some time in the past to host a mailbag column with MLBTR readers. We at MLBTR offer our best wishes to Trevor.

Athletics Sign Trevor May, Designate Cody Thomas

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1:08pm: May will be guaranteed $7MM on the deal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets. He can earn an additional $500K worth of incentives.

1:02pm: The Athletics have signed veteran right-hander Trevor May to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. May is represented by the VC Sports Group. Outfielder Cody Thomas was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

May, 33, will head to the A’s in search of a rebound campaign after an injury-plagued 2022 showing with the Mets. The 6’5″ righty missed three months of the season due to a triceps injury that seemed to hamper him on the mound, as May’s 5.04 ERA in 25 innings was his worst mark since the 2016 season. Even with those rough bottom-line results, however, May retained his velocity (96.2 mph average fastball) and posted a strong 27% strikeout rate against a solid 8.1% walk rate.

From 2018-21, May was quietly one of the top strikeout arms in the league, logging 175 2/3 innings of 3.33 ERA ball as a setup man for the Twins. In that time, May’s 32.6% strikeout rate ranked 13th among 204 qualified relievers, while his 15.1% swinging-strike rate ranked 20th. He coupled that knack for missing bats with a solid 8.6% walk rate, all of which helped May pile up 46 holds and 11 saves as he went from low-leverage innings to a frequent late-inning option for the Twins and the Mets — the latter of whom signed him to a two-year, $15.5MM free-agent deal in the 2020-21 offseason.

May will look to bounce back into form with the A’s, who have no set closer in place at the moment. Given his salary and experience, May should get frequent opportunities in high-leverage spots for Oakland, be it as a ninth-inning option or as a member of manager Mark Kotsay’s setup corps. May immediately becomes the most seasoned arm in the Oakland bullpen, as prior to his arrival the A’s had just one reliever with even two years of Major League service time: lefty A.J. Puk. In addition to May and Puk, the A’s have Zach Jackson, Dany Jimenez, Domingo Acevedo and Sam Moll likely ticketed for bullpen roles. Given the inexperienced nature of that group, it stands to reason that May could be one of multiple relief additions for the A’s this winter.

May is the third free-agent signing for the low-budget A’s in as many weeks, joining infielders Aledmys Diaz (two years, $14.5MM) and Jace Peterson (two years, $9.5MM) as newcomers. Any of the three could become viable trade chips this summer, but May’s track record and status as a one-year signee makes him seem like a particularly plausible summer trade candidate.

The addition of that trio pushes Oakland’s payroll projection to a still (very) modest $51MM. That, somewhat incredibly, is still an upgrade over last year’s Opening Day payroll (just shy of $48MM), but there figures to be some additional spending ahead for the A’s, who could still upgrade in the rotation, bullpen and outfield, among other areas.

As for the 28-year-old Thomas, he made his big league debut in 2022 but only appeared in 10 games and tallied 32 plate appearances, during which he batted .267/.313/.267. He slashed a hearty .289/.363/.665 with 18 homers in just 245 Triple-A plate appearances in 2021, but Thomas missed nearly the entire 2022 season after undergoing spring surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. His plus raw power and that huge 2021 showing in Triple-A might be enough to pique another team’s interest, and the A’s will have a week to trade him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Mets Designate Deven Marrero For Assignment

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The Mets announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s series opener with the Cubs. Luis Guillorme is back from the 10-day injured list, while Trevor May has returned from the COVID-19 list. In corresponding moves, the Mets placed reliever Bryce Montes de Oca on the 15-day IL with left hamstring tightness and designated infielder Deven Marrero for assignment.

Guillorme returns just under a month after straining his groin. The left-handed hitting utilityman has had a productive season, posting a .283/.355/.357 line across 289 plate appearances. He’s not much of a power threat, but Guillorme puts the ball in play and is capable of playing all around the infield. He’s rated particularly well as a second baseman in his career, but he’s also a viable backup for Francisco Lindor at shortstop and a candidate to take some third base playing time from Eduardo Escobar (although Escobar has been on a tear since being reinstated from his own IL stint a couple weeks back).

At the very least, Guillorme gives the Mets a high-quality utility infielder. His return left no room for Marrero, who was initially promoted when Guillorme first went down in mid-August. New York quickly outrighted Marrero off the roster but brought him back to the majors not long after. The 32-year-old has been on the roster for the past couple weeks but only gotten into five games, going hitless with three strikeouts in six at-bats.

It’s familiar territory for Marrero, who was also frequently shuttled on and off the Marlins roster last season. Despite only appearing in 15 MLB games over the last two years, he’s been designated for assignment a staggering eight times since June 2021. He’s cleared outright waivers each time. He’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he goes unclaimed again, but it seems likely he’d elect to return to Triple-A Syracuse. Marrero has a .217/.309/.325 line over 137 plate appearances there this year.

Montes de Oca was first promoted on September 3, when May landed on the injured list. He’s made three appearances, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings but striking out six. The big right-hander has averaged 95.4 MPH on his cutter and just under triple digits on his sinker, per Statcast, showcasing the impact stuff that allowed him to strike out more than 35% of opponents in 30 Triple-A innings this year. The 26-year-old also walked 15.4% of batters faced at that level, though, and the Mets eased him into the big leagues with low-leverage work.

Mets Place Trevor May On IL, Select Bryce Montes de Oca

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The Mets announced tonight that they have placed right-hander Trevor May on the injured list, without providing a designation. Fellow right-hander Bryce Montes de Oca has been selected to take his place on the roster. Montes de Oca was not previously on the 40-man roster, which was full before these moves. Those facts, combined with the fact that the club didn’t provide an injury diagnosis, points to May being on the COVID IL. Players on that list don’t count against a club’s 40-man roster.

At this point, it’s not clear whether May tested positive for the virus, as players can also land on the IL for experiencing symptoms or for viral exposure. Without a positive test, there’s no minimum stay on the IL. But in the case of a positive test, MLB’s 2022 health regulations stipulate a 10-day absence, though a pair of negative PCR tests and approval from a trio of medical professionals (team doctor, league-appointed doctor, MLBPA-appointed doctor) can override that 10-day requirement.

It’s been a tale of two seasons for May, as he struggled immensely out of the gate. He had an 8.64 ERA after about a month, at which point he was placed on the IL due to triceps inflammation. He was out of action about three months, returning at the beginning of August and posting much better results. He has a 3.86 ERA since his return, along with an excellent 35.9% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.

Montes de Oca, 26, was a ninth-round pick of the Mets in the 2018 draft. He missed the 2018 and 2019 campaigns due to injury and then 2020 due to the pandemic. He finally made his professional debut in 2021, climbing to Double-A by season’s end. This year, he began back at Double-A and posted a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3 innings, striking out 31.2% of batters faced while getting grounders on 68.4% of balls in play. He did walk an obscene 18.2% of batters faced, but nonetheless got a promotion to Triple-A. He’s since registered a 3.90 ERA in 30 innings there, with a 35.3% strikeout rate, 37.7% ground ball rate and 15.4% walk rate. In July, FanGraphs ranked him the #25 prospect in the Mets’ system, noting that his fastball sits in the upper 90s with tailing movement. He will make his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

It’s not clear whether Montes de Oca has had his contract selected in the traditional way or as a COVID “substitute.” In the latter case, he would be eligible to be removed from the 40-man roster without first being exposed to waivers. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, commissioner Rob Manfred has the sole discretion to determine whether teams are sufficiently impacted by COVID-19 to add a substitute to the roster.

Mets Designate Kramer Robertson For Assignment

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The Mets announced to reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, a series of roster moves prior to today’s game. Recent trade acquisitions Darin Ruf and right-hander Mychal Givens have been activated, while righty Trevor May has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. To make room for those three on the roster, righties Yoan Lopez and Stephen Nogosek were optioned while infielder Kramer Robertson was designated for assignment.

Robertson, 27, has had his name attached to many transactions this year. He began the year in the Cardinals organization, getting selected to the big league club in May. He made his major league debut with the Redbirds, getting into two games but making just one plate appearance (RBI groundout). He was optioned back to the minors and then designated for assignment in June. He was then claimed off waivers by the Braves and the Mets in fairly quick succession. Both teams kept him in Triple-A for the most part, with the Mets calling him up yesterday but designating him for assignment without getting him into a game.

Between the organizations of the Cardinals, Braves and Mets, he’s gotten into 73 Triple-A games this year and has hit .241/.400/.362. He doesn’t have much power but has walked at an incredible 17.5% rate this year and enough defensive versatility to play second base, third base and shortstop. He’s already been claimed a couple of times this year and could be again, especially with many teams having just opened roster spots with trades in recent days. He will likely land on the waiver wire in the days to come.

As for May, 32, he’s been out of action for months due to a stress reaction in the humerus of his throwing arm. He started off the season in miserable form, likely due to his arm issues, logging an 8.64 ERA in 8 1/3 innings. Landing on the IL in early May, the prognosis was that he would be sidelined 8-12 weeks, with the hurler now returning at the longer end of that window. He’s in the second year of a two-year, $15.5MM contract with the Mets. He will look to get back on track before returning to free agency, as well as helping the Mets with the stretch run. The club is currently atop the NL East with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Braves.

Mets Place Tylor Megill On Injured List, Select Colin Holderman

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, with righty Tylor Megill going on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 12, due to right biceps inflammation. Fellow righty Colin Holderman has been selected to take his place on the active roster. To make room for Holderman on the 40-man roster, righty Trevor May has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

The Mets didn’t provide a timeline for Megill’s injury but did say that he will undergo an MRI today. More details and the next steps should be forthcoming once the results are known.

Megill, 26, wasn’t originally projected to open the season in the rotation, but injuries to Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker created an opening for him. Initially, Megill took that opportunity and ran with it, making two scoreless starts to begin the season and putting up an ERA of 1.93 after five total outings. However, his last two outings haven’t been as smooth, with Megill allowing 11 total earned runs in those. It’s possible that this injury was taking its toll on him and affecting his performance.

The Mets will need another starter to take Megill’s spot in the rotation, as today is their sixth of 16 consecutive games. David Peterson would seem to be the most likely candidate to be called up, given that he’s already made three starts for the club earlier this year and performed well. But in the short term, he pitched in Triple-A on Friday and wouldn’t be available to pitch on normal rest until Wednesday. Megill’s was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game, meaning the Mets will have to figure out who’s taking the ball for that contest.

In the meantime, Holderman will join the staff to try to cover some innings. A ninth round draft pick from 2016, he’s done both starting and relieving in his minor league career, though he’s only been working out of the bullpen this year. In nine Triple-A games, he’s thrown 12 1/3 innings with a 2.92 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 61.3% ground ball rate. As soon as he gets the call to enter a game, it will be his major league debut.

The transfer of May to the 60-day injured list isn’t shocking, as it was reported a couple of weeks ago that he will be out of action for 8-12 weeks due to a stress reaction in the humerus of his throwing arm.

Trevor May To Miss 8-12 Weeks

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4:21PM: May told DiComo and other reporters that his rough timeline for a return is 8-12 weeks.

12:51PM: Mets reliever Trevor May has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the humerus of his throwing arm, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He’ll be shut down from throwing for at least a month.

New York placed the righty on the 15-day injured list yesterday with what was initially termed triceps inflammation. Today’s diagnosis comes with an unfortunate timetable that’ll keep him out of action for a while. Even if he begins a throwing program around early June, he’ll need some time to build up arm strength before embarking upon a minor league rehab assignment. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if May isn’t ready for MLB action again until after the All-Star Break. It seems likely he’ll wind up on the 60-day injured list whenever the team needs to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

May signed a two-year, $15.5MM deal with New York over the 2020-21 offseason. That was a surprisingly affordable price given his excellent three-run with the Twins between 2018-20. May was an effective and durable middle innings option for former skipper Luis Rojas during his first year in Queens. Over 62 2/3 innings, he posted a 3.59 ERA with a very strong 31.2% strikeout rate.

The early results in 2022 haven’t been good, as May has been tagged for eight runs in 8 1/3 innings. He only has five punchouts, and his swinging strike rate has plummeted from 15.3% last season to just 8.4% this year. May’s fastball and slider velocity haven’t changed much, but he’s seen marked dips in the raw spin on both offerings. That has corresponded to a little less depth on his breaking ball, although May’s heater has been the primary culprit for his early poor results.

Presumably, the injury has played a key role in the drop in May’s arsenal and performance. He conceded on Monday (via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) that he’d been pitching through arm discomfort since first suffering a triceps injury on April 11. The Mets are surely hopeful he’ll be back to vintage form after an extended rest period to again serve as an important high-leverage option late in the year.

Injury Notes: Lewis, May, Gray, Longoria, Giants

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The Mariners announced that center fielder Kyle Lewis has begun a rehab assignment in Triple-A tonight, his first competitive assignment since he tore his meniscus last May. Foreshadowing what may come when the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year makes it back to the majors, the 26-year-old Lewis swatted a home run on his first swing back in minor league game action. Equally encouraging for M’s fans is manager Scott Servais’s assessment, who according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer notes the team can be “a little bit more aggressive than we’d normally be” in promoting Lewis.

Cutting a 20-day rehab assignment short would be a bold move for a player who played in just 36 games last season, but clearly speaks to the team’s confidence in Lewis’s recovery. For what it’s worth, the Mariners aren’t exactly hurting for offense at the moment, as they rank third in the AL in runs scored. The high-upside outfield trio of Jesse Winker, Julio Rodriguez, and Jarred Kelenic, as well as a mishmash of DH options, have yet to really get it going however, and seem likely to cede time to the right-handed Lewis in the coming weeks.

Some additional injury updates from around the league…

  • Mets reliever Trevor May is headed to the 10-day IL with triceps inflammation in his throwing arm, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports. The typically reliable right-hander is off to a rough start in the 2022 season, allowing sixteen batters to reach base and half of them to score across eight appearances. The Mets currently sit atop the NL win column with an 18-8 record but if there’s one nit to pick with the team’s outstanding play so far it’s the bullpen, who have been a bottom-half unit in terms of run prevention this season. A return to health and vintage form from May will go a long way to shoring up the bullpen and taking pressure off the team’s lineup and rotation, both of which rank as top-5 groups in the sport. Right-hander Adonis Medina, who was acquired from the Pirates in early April, has been recalled to fill the bullpen vacancy.
  • The Rangers meanwhile welcomed back right-handed starter Jon Gray from the IL today after he sprained in his knee in his previous start. Gray, one of several splashy signings made by Texas this offseason, has yet to get into a groove with his new club. The 30-year-old has already been placed on the IL twice during the young season, and was pulled after 60 pitches in tonight’s match against the Phillies. A rough first inning ballooned his ERA up to 7.50 on the season, but a quiet pair of ensuing innings is what the Rangers and their beleaguered pitching staff will be looking for more of moving forward. Right-handed reliever Albert Abreu, acquired from the Yankees in April’s Jose Trevino trade, heads to the IL in Gray’s stead with a sprained ankle. Abreu has managed a solid 3.57 ERA on the year, albeit with a worrying 11 walks in just over seven innings of action.
  • The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly rolled out a cavalcade of positive health updates on ailing Giants players today. Notably, injured infielders Evan Longoria and Tommy La Stella will join recovering outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. on a rehab assignment in Triple-A. Outfielders Joc Pederson and Mike Yastrzemski are nearing full-time returns as well after a right adductor strain and positive COVID test interrupted their respective seasons. Right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani has also made progress in his recovery from the right ankle inflammation that recently landed him on the IL. Healthy returns from the listed players would be a boon for the club, who currently have several regulars out for COVID-related reasons. Despite sporting an IL that is more recognizable than the starting lineup, the Giants haven’t missed a beat from last season. The team is currently a half game out of first in the NL West, behind the Dodgers and Padres, with a top-3 bullpen and offense that only figures to get deeper in the next few days.

Mets Sign Trevor May

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DEC. 2: The deal is official. It’s a $15.5MM guarantee, Jeff Passan of ESPN tweets. May could make another $250K in performance bonuses in each season.

DEC. 1, 4:07pm: May’s contract is worth around $15MM, Heyman tweets.

2:10pm: It’s a two-year deal for May, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).

1:37pm: The Mets have agreed to terms on a contract with free-agent reliever Trevor May, SNY’s Andy Martino reports (via Twitter). The contract is pending a physical. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reported earlier this afternoon that May and the Mets were “deep” in talks. May is represented by the VC Sports Group.

Trevor May | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

May, 31, becomes the first prominent reliever to come off the board. The longtime Twins righty bounced back from Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2017 season to become a reliable, late-inning power arm in Minnesota and one of the game’s foremost strikeout pitchers.

Since returning from that elbow operation, May has compiled 113 innings of 3.19 ERA and 3.56 FIP ball, averaging 12.2 strikeouts, 3.0 walks and 1.4 home runs per nine innings pitched. This past season was particularly impressive for May in terms of missing bats, as he whiffed an outstanding 39.6 percent of the hitters he faced.

May’s fastball averaged a career-high 96.4 mph in 2020, although the righty threw the pitch at a greatly reduced 52.1 percent clip. In place of the heaters, the right-hander ramped up the use of his slider to a career-high 32.2 percent and did so to great success; May generated a 14.6 percent swinging-strike rate on his slider, and plate appearances he finished with that pitch resulted in opponents putting up a pitiful .167/.167/.250 batting line.

Because he works at the top of the zone with his four-seamer, May has trouble with the long ball at times. However he also generated a ridiculous 20.6 percent swinging-strike rate on his fastball thanks to high-end velocity and spin on the pitch. Overall, Statcast pegged May in the 99th percentile of Major League pitchers in terms of swinging-strike rate and in the 98th percentile in terms of overall strikeout rate in 2020. For a Mets club that already boasts several power arms at the back of the bullpen, May only adds more firepower.

Of course, many of those arms are in need of a rebound. It’s arguable that if Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances and others had all pitched to their capabilities in 2020, the Mets might not have felt as motivated to make a push for an “early” deal with May. Still, pairing May with Edwin Diaz, Familia, Betances, Miguel Castro, Brad Brach and potentially Seth Lugo — depending on which direction the organization goes with him — gives the Mets a deep and talented mix of late-inning weapons, even if they there’s some considerable inconsistency among the bunch.

May was no doubt highly recommended and perhaps even personally recruited by Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who was the Twins’ bullpen coach prior to the 2020 season. Hefner, a former Mets pitcher, played a role in helping to coax a breakout from May and several other Twins relievers before being hired away by his former team.

The May signing is the first notable move of what most expect to be a highly active offseason for the Mets. While they’re still on the search for a new general manager, Sandy Alderson is back with the club under deep-pocketed new owner Steve Cohen and is calling the shots in baseball operations at the moment. With the game’s richest owner now in their corner, the Mets have already been linked to the majority of the top names on both the trade and free-agent markets.

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