"Criswell has been a DFA casualty following a big trade twice this offseason. The Red Sox squeezed him out after the Jhostynxon Garcia/Johan Oviedo deal. The Mets grabbed him off waivers a day later but will now need to trade or waive him themselves. Criswell and the Red Sox had worked out an $800K contract early in the offseason."
"While the righty locked in a fully guaranteed salary a little above the MLB minimum, that also pointed to a likely offseason DFA. It has become increasingly common for teams to work out slightly above minimum deals with players whom they're considering dropping from the 40-man roster. The salary could serve as a minor deterrent for another team to place a waiver claim."
"Perhaps more importantly, it gives the player incentive to accept a minor league assignment if they clear. The 29-year-old Criswell was outrighted by the Rays during the 2022 season. That gives him the right to decline future outrights in his career. It's less likely that he'd walk away from guaranteed money, so the Mets could stash him in Triple-A if no other team places a claim."
Cooper Criswell was designated for assignment by the Mets to clear a 40-man roster spot after a two-for-two trade that added Jett Williams. Criswell was DFA'd twice this offseason, removed by the Red Sox after the Jhostynxon Garcia/Johan Oviedo deal and claimed by the Mets a day later. Criswell agreed to an $800,000 fully guaranteed contract earlier in the offseason. Teams often sign borderline roster players to slightly above-minimum deals to discourage waiver claims and encourage acceptance of minor-league assignments. Criswell logged a career-high 99 1/3 innings in 2024 with a 4.08 ERA and posted a 3.70 ERA and 24.5% strikeout rate at Triple-A.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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