Mets claim pitcher Sam Coonrod off waivers from Phillies
Coonrod was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Jan. 30 to make room for Josh Harrison on the 40-man roster.
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Phillies reliever Sam Coonrod was claimed off waivers by the Mets on Monday, according to the team’s transaction page.
Coonrod, a 30-year-old right-hander, was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Jan. 30 to make room for infielder Josh Harrison on the 40-man roster. Harrison agreed to a one-year contract with the Phillies on Jan. 29.
Internally, the Phillies had differing opinions on Coonrod. He served as a solid middle-innings arm for the Phillies in 2021, lowering his walk rate to 8.1% and his strikeout rate to 25.9%, still the best marks of his four-year career. But he battled shoulder pain in spring training in 2022, and an MRI later revealed that he had torn his rotator cuff. Coonrod spent most of the season on the 60-day injured list.
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When he did return, he was not the same pitcher. After five straight scoreless appearances in August, Coonrod struggled in September, allowing 11 earned runs through 6⅔ innings with four walks. He finished the 2022 season with a 7.82 ERA in 12⅔ innings with seven walks.
What was unclear was which Coonrod the Phillies would get in 2023 — the 2021 version, or the 2022 version. Or, perhaps the 2019 version, when he posted a 3.58 ERA in 27⅔ innings with the Giants in his rookie season. A few months ago, manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies’ would like to have some option-able depth at the back of their bullpen, and Coonrod, who has a minor league option, would seem to fit that description. But 40-man spots are coveted, and the Phillies deemed Harrison was more worthy of a spot than Coonrod.
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The Mets are counting on a bounce-back year from Coonrod, and there is reason to believe he might have one. After seeing his velocity dip last year to 97 mph, he has now had more time to recover and could see it tick up. Some have wondered whether he was the victim of some bad luck. Regardless, as of Monday, he is no longer the Phillies’ risk to take.