New York Mets call up recent trade acquisition; option lefty reliever

Garza, 31, was acquired from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend in exchange for cash considerations. He was initially assigned to Triple-A Syracuse but did not pitch there before receiving the call-up.

In 17.2 innings with Triple-A Sacramento this season, Garza posted a 6.11 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 26% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate. His fastball is averaging over 96 mph this year, up from the 93–95 mph range he sat in during his last stint in the majors.

Garza holds a 5.74 ERA in 47 career MLB innings but has not appeared at the big-league level since the 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox. According to Statcast, he dropped his sinker from his pitch mix after the 2021 season, instead relying on a four-seam fastball, cutter, slider, and changeup.

Waddell, 31, has pitched in four games for the Mets this season, including two since his latest promotion early last week. In 10.2 MLB innings, he has produced a 3.38 ERA with a 7-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The southpaw threw just four pitches in his most recent outing Thursday, so his demotion likely has more to do with his remaining minor league options than his availability or performance. Additionally, with Paul Blackburn returning as the team’s primary long reliever, Waddell faced a diminished path to consistent innings in Queens.

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For now, Waddell returns to Syracuse, where he has posted a 3.06 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in eight appearances (seven starts) this season. New York currently has just one healthy left-hander in its bullpen: José Castillo, who has tossed seven scoreless innings since being acquired in a trade similar to Garza’s.

After taking another low-cost flier on Garza, the Mets will see if the right-hander can replicate Castillo’s early success with a change of scenery.