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NY Mets retain intriguing reliever in the toolbox after insane 40-man roster churn

Save your best puns for his next call-up.
Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA;  New York Mets pitcher Dan Hammer (38) pitches in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Dan Hammer (38) pitches in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You’ve at least seen the GIF of Abe Simpson walking in with a hat and immediately turning around without saying a word while placing the hat back on his head. This might be how one New York Mets player recently felt.

The Mets cleared out a roster spot for Dan Hammer on the 40-man, called him up, and never got him into a game before DFA’ing him. The team has undergone several 40-man roster moves this month. Selecting and DFA’ing Hammer immediately was one of the odder choices.

A 1.77 ERA in Syracuse this year with no major league experience to speak of, Hammer performed well enough to deserve a look. The Mets thought the better of it, instead filling out the roster with more players who just aren’t doing much at all. Lucky (or not) for Hammer, he passed through waivers untouched and will get back to his apartment in Syracuse where he can await another call-up or whatever the Mets have planned for him.

Dan Hammer couldn’t touch a major league inning, but he’ll remain with the Mets organization for now

This year has been the 28-year-old’s first trip to Triple-A with 77 games across parts of 4 seasons in Double-A under his belt already. He hasn’t been particularly good at the lower levels of the minor leagues. Just a 5.22 ERA in Double-A which includes a strong performance with a 2.77 ERA this year, we can’t really blame teams for having doubts.

It does come as somewhat of a surprise that everyone would skip Hammer on the waiver wire when he could be optioned to the minor leagues. Did the 7.5 BB/9 convince them danger was lurking right around the corner? For teams like the Colorado Rockies who should try anything and everything to find pitchers, we should always ask why not?

Hopefully you saved your best puns. Hammer time may only be weeks away as the Mets clear some space in their bullpen with at minimum two spots opening up once A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley are traded.

This hasn’t been a particularly good year for the Mets when it comes to minor league contracts. Hammer was never a significant one like Craig Kimbrel or Tommy Pham that flamed out. More of a longer term project, he’ll stick around a little longer after all.

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