Mets Release Max Kranick and Claim Yohan Ramirez Off Waivers

The Mets announced on Monday that they have claimed right-hander Yohan Ramirez off waivers from Baltimore Orioles after they recently designated him for assignment, along with designating right-hander Max Kranick for assignment as compensation. This comes less than one month after designating Ramirez for assignment themselves before trading him to Baltimore for cash; now with no minor league options left he’ll head directly into their bullpen.
Ramirez is not entirely new to the 2024 Mets; in fact he represents their second designated reliever traded and eventually claimed back through waiver claim; Michael Tonkin followed suit a couple seasons prior, being sent off to Minnesota before quickly returned again by waiver claim. It seems likely this pattern may continue throughout the season given their limited bullpen pieces with remaining minor league options and so needing to rotate through various names at certain spots to cover for them due to inflexible roster management practices.
Ramirez, who turns 29 today, has pitched in eight games between the Mets and Orioles this season and earned 11 1/3 innings pitched, being charged with 11 runs as an example despite only representing such a small sample size. Prior to entering this season he held an overall career 3.99 ERA across 124 major league innings between Mariners, Guardians, Pirates, White Sox.
Ramirez has struck out roughly an average 23.1% of his big league opponents since debuting, yet his 12.4% walk rate far surpasses league-average levels. Ramirez will give the Mets another fresh arm after using five relievers yesterday (Reed Garrett and Sean Reid-Foley used twice, both again on consecutive days) but given how the club has handled other bullpen spots to date it shouldn’t come as any shock that Ramirez remains on their roster only briefly.
The Mets claimed 26-year-old Kranick off waivers from the Pirates in January, initially placing him on injured reserve with a hamstring strain before optioning him back out to Triple-A Syracuse when healthy again in late April upon reinstatement. Through seven innings pitched for Syracuse this season – four walks more than strikeouts recorded (two total). Furthermore he served up eight hits – including two homers!
Coincidently, Kranick and Ramirez both played for the Pirates last season – Ramirez being designated for assignment so he could make room for Kranick following Tommy John surgery recovery. Now however, Kranick will make way for Ramirez back into their current organization.
Kranick currently sports a 5.56 ERA through 43 2/3 big league innings. While only fanning 17.9% of opponents, his 10.9% walk rate exceeds league norms by two percentage points. A former 11th round pick, Kranick boasts an excellent track record in Triple A where his 3.63 ERA through 24 appearances (23 starts) displays much improved command – as evidenced by only 17.8% fanning rate while boasting 7.9% walk rate!
Kranick is in his final of three minor league option seasons and could still find himself an opportunity to sign with another club as rotation depth. Within five days he could either be traded, placed on outright waivers/release waivers (both processes take 48 hours to process), assigned outright back to Syracuse (if that option passes), or outrighted without needing to allocate 40-man roster spots for him – meaning Kranick could clear all three processes without becoming part of an immediate club’s 40-man roster (likely in Syracuse).