Mets Lose Nate Lavender, Mike Vasil in Rule 5 Draft

In somewhat of a surprise, the Mets did not select a player in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. They did, however, lose lefty Nate Lavender, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays and right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil, who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets also lost right-handed pitcher Joseph Yabbour, right-handed pitcher Hobie Harris, infielder Junior Tilien, catcher Drake Osborn, right-handed pitcher Nolan Clenney, right-handed pitcher Landon Marceaux, and right-handed pitcher Jawilme Ramirez in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft.

In the minor league portion, the Mets selected right-handed pitcher Michael Hobbs from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a 2.97 ERA in 57 2/3 innings in 42 Double-A relief appearances.

Lavender, 24, underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, which limited him to seven innings, but his 2023 season saw him finish with a 2.98 ERA and strike out 86 batters in 54 1/3 innings. Lavender underwent internal brace surgery in May and may not return for the 2025 season, with an average recovery timeframe of 12 to 14 months.

Vasil, 24, struggled in 2024 with Syracuse, running a 6.04 ERA in 134 innings, striking out 109 while walking 52. Vasil was on the periphery of a call-up to the 2024 Mets until he ran into difficulties at Triple-A. There was hope that he could possibly be added to the 40-man roster, but the Mets chose to have roster flexibility and left him exposed.

In the minor league portion, the Mets lost right-handed pitcher Yabbour, 21, to the Chicago White Sox. Yabbour split the 2024 season between the FCL and Single-A and pitched to a combined 5.44 ERA with 63 strikeouts over 44 2/3 innings.

Harris, 31, was signed by the Mets to a minor league contract on November 22 but was selected by the Boston Red Sox. Harris pitched to a 6.79 ERA in Triple-A, striking out 62 batters in 54 1/3 innings over 44 appearances. Harris appeared for the Washington Nationals in 2023 and had a 5.12 ERA with nine strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

Junior Tilien, 22, was selected by the Detroit Tigers. Tilien hit .232/.302/.331 with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones with six home runs and 42 RBI over 404 plate appearances.

Osborn, 26, was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Osborn was drafted by the Mets in the 2021 draft and hit .257/.324/.353 with three home runs and 28 RBI in 276 plate appearances, splitting the 2024 season between High A and Double-A.

Clenney, 28, was selected by the Chicago Cubs. Clenney spent the 2024 season in Double-A with a 5.37 ERA, striking out 60 batters in 53 2/3 innings.

Marceaux, 25, was selected by the Kansas City Royals. He was originally obtained by the Mets for Eduardo Escobar in 2023 from the Los Angeles Angels. He did not pitch in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In his three minor-league seasons, he had a 4.35 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 169 2/3 innings.

Ramirez, 23, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. Ramirez had some success in a 2024 season that saw him pitch mostly in High-A Brooklyn. On the season, Ramirez had a 3.58 ERA, striking out 61 batters in 73 innings.

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