The completely forgotten paper NY Mets player having a useful season for the Mariners

What was your favorite memory of Cooper Criswell on the New York Mets? What’s that? You don’t recall anyone with that name playing for the team? Well, hard to blame you.

Criswell, a 29-year-old right-hander currently pitching for the Seattle Mariners, never actually played for the Mets in his brief stint with the team. He did, however, spend just over a month on New York’s 40-man roster.

In 2025 before he was with the Mets, Criswell spent most of the year with the Boston Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester. He pitched sporadically for the major league club throughout the season. He ended the year with seven appearances for the Red Sox in what was his second season with the team. In his 17.2 innings, which included one start, the righty allowed 10 runs (seven earned) for Boston, good for a 3.57 ERA.

Cooper Criswell’s Mets tenure was short-lived

The Red Sox designated Criswell for assignment in December 2025 to open a spot on their 40-man roster after their trade to acquire Jhostynxon Garcia from the Pirates. The Mets claimed Criswell on waivers a day later and added him to their 40-man roster as a potential additional bullpen arm acquisition early in the offseason.

Criswell’s time with the Mets ended abruptly just over one month later – and in a similar fashion to how his time in Boston concluded. New York’s trade for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers put them in their own roster crunch since Jett Williams, whom the Mets sent to Milwaukee, hadn’t occupied a spot on the 40-man. Criswell became the odd man out in the roster calculus, and New York designated him for assignment on January 21, the day of its trade with the Brewers.

Two days later, the Mariners sent the Mets cash considerations for the right-hander. Criswell wound up cracking Seattle’s Opening Day roster and made his Mariners debut in their first game of 2026.

Cooper Criswell has carved out a role for himself in Mariners’ staff

Through 60 games in Seattle, Criswell has put together one of the best stretches of his major league career. He’s appeared in 22 games for the Mariners so far, all in relief, and has compiled a 2-1 record and 0.4 bWAR across 26.1 innings.

Seattle has used Criswell as one of its main set-up arms for closer Andrés Muñoz this year. Only five of the right-hander’s 22 appearances have started before the seventh inning, and half of his outings (11) were through the end of a game for his team. And so far, the results have been there for Criswell. His 3.08 ERA is the second-best of his career so far (only his 2.70 mark in all of one outing in 2022 is better). And his 1.10 WHIP is the fifth-best of the Mariners’ entire pitching staff and second-best among Seattle’s relievers.

It’s hard to truly consider Criswell another “arm that got away” during the Mets’ David Stearns era, given that he never appeared in a game for the Orange and Blue. Still, his solid start with the Mariners in 2026 is notable – especially since he may get a chance to face (what is technically) his former team as the Mets start their next road trip in Seattle on June 1.

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