New York Mets Sign Veteran Julio Teheran to Bolster Banged Up Starting Rotation
Julio Teheran, who was unable to latch on with the Baltimore Orioles this spring, is joining the New York Mets and will start Monday against the Atlanta Braves.
The New York Mets have signed veteran starting pitcher Julio Teherán to a major league contract, SportsNet New York's Andy Martino and others reported Wednesday.
The 33-year-old right-hander spent 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers, fresh off a 2022 season spent in the minor leagues and a 2021 campaign spent mostly in Mexico.
Teherán inked a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles in February, only to opt out a month later. After being granted his release, Teherán spent 10 days in free agency and then landed with the Mets.
According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, Teherán is expected to serve as New York's starter in the team's series opener versus the Atlanta Braves on Monday.
Teherán made a name for himself with the Braves, spending nine seasons with the club. He notched two All-Star appearances, all while ranking fourth in baseball with 222 starts between 2013 and 2019.
For his career, Teherán is 81-82 with a 3.83 ERA, a 1.219 WHIP, 1,257 strikeouts and a 19.9 WAR.
Adding an experienced arm was a must for the Mets in the early goings of the 2024 season for multiple reasons.
Ace Kodai Senga hurt his shoulder during Spring Training and is out for at least the next few weeks. Tylor Megill hit the 15-day injured list this past weekend with shoulder strain on his own.
On top of that, the Mets have fallen victim to multiple rain outs that have compressed their schedule over the next few days. They have a double-header on Thursday, and neither of the starters in that game would be ready in time for Monday.
New York won't have an off-day until April 18, so bringing a new pitcher to the rotation was critical to keeping the team afloat.
As it stands, the Mets are 0-4. It remains to be seen if Teherán himself can turn that around, but his presence will at least take some pressure off the other veterans in Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser,
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