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RHP Mike Vasil is set for his next MLB opportunity for the Tampa Bay Rays, as the team traded for him on Wednesday. Vasil was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft from the New York Mets, who appear to be looking elsewhere for pitching talent. The deal includes cash considerations sent to the Phillies, according to Rays Communications on X, formerly Twitter.
Vasil was an eighth-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft and spent last season with Triple-A Syracuse – finishing with an 8-10 record and a 6.04 ERA. The Mets also won't rule out pursuing Vasil in the future, as he was previously one of the franchise's top pitching prospects.
“You never want to lose pitchers or any player in a Rule 5 draft,” said Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, per Alex Smith of SNY. “There’s a long way to go between having a player selected and actually losing the player. That’s the reality of this, but look, those are two good pitchers. We knew certainly because of the unique circumstance with Nate and because of Vasil’s pedigree that these were possibilities. That’s all part of the roster management puzzle that we try to fit through.”
“We simultaneously wish them well and also hope to get them back.”
While the Mets chose not to protect Vasil so they could shore up other parts of the roster, they seem content with letting him go and evaluating his progress from afar in 2025.
Rays add Mike Vasil to growing bullpen
The Rays had one of the strongest pitching rotations last season with 619 strikeouts. They will likely get a lot of initial usage out of Vasil, who could soon become one of their better relievers.
They also selected left-hander Nate Lavender from the Mets in the first round of the Rule 5 Draft.
