Ahead of his big league debut this afternoon against the Mariners, the Mets promoted Nolan McLean from Triple-A Syracuse. In a corresponding move, Paul Blackburn was designated for assignment. Blackburn will have to pass through waivers to remain in the Mets organization.
McLean, 24, has been a standout pitching prospect for the Mets this season after establishing himself as one of the rising stars in the system in 2024. He was named the fifth best Mets prospect by Amazin’ Avenue in the offseason. He’s tossed a 2.45 ERA across 113 innings for Binghamton and Syracuse and has struck out 127 while walking 50 in that timespan.
Blackburn, who the Mets acquired from the Athletics at the 2024 trade deadline for Kade Morris, has had a rough go as a Met. Injuries landed him on the IL for a big chunk of the year or so he was in blue and orange, and he had just recently fought his way back to the MLB roster when he was DFA’d. In his only game since being recalled, he tossed five innings of two run, one hit ball after David Peterson had a tough start against the Braves. It was the type of performance that your team needs after a short start, and Blackburn delivered. His six-pitch mix made him an interesting arm in the Mets’ system, but his lack of options and the crowded pitching picture left him without a natural spot. The Mets were reportedly trying to move Blackburn at the trade deadline last month, aware of his difficulty in finding a roster spot, but could not find any takers.
If Blackburn wasn’t going to be the roster casualty for McLean, the only other viable option on the table was Reed Garrett, who still has options remaining. However, Garrett has been more effective in high leverage situations in short bursts than Blackburn, so he gets to stay. This is compounded by the fact that Frankie Montas, due to his total inability to stick as a starter, is now in the bullpen and is taking the role that Blackburn would be best suited for at the moment.
With so many uncertainties with the Mets’ roster at the moment, Garrett may still spend some time in Syracuse if the Mets decide to move Clay Holmes to the bullpen or if the upcoming stretch of 16 games without an off-day requires a sixth starter. Things will get a little easier on September 1 when rosters expand to 28 players (with a 14 pitcher cap), but until then, the Mets are going to have to make some tough decisions for the fringes of their roster.