{"id":40584,"date":"2025-03-13T01:33:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T01:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=40584"},"modified":"2025-03-13T01:33:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T01:33:46","slug":"exclusive-why-the-mets-gave-a-major-league-contract-to-pitcher-justin-hagenman-who-has-never-been-in-majors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=40584","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Why the Mets gave a major-league contract to pitcher Justin Hagenman, who has never been in majors"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"The<\/p>\n

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Tucked into the Mets\u2019 expensive, high-profile offseason was a cheaper, less sexy transaction to acquire a pitcher they like \u2014 a guy who has the contract to prove exactly that.<\/p>\n

Justin Hagenman, a 28-year-old righthander, has never pitched in the major leagues. The Mets signed him to a major-league deal anyway.<\/p>\n

That unusual but not unprecedented move stemmed from a variety of factors, including his recent performance and perceived potential, which led the Mets to one conclusion: He is worth it.<\/p>\n

So now Hagenman is on the 40-man roster, ticketed for Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season, a noteworthy piece of depth whenever the Mets next need a multi-inning reliever or spot starter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to be a guy that we\u2019re going to be looking at closely,\u201d manager Carlos Mendoza said.<\/p>\n

Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot to like there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roster flexibility was part of why the Mets wanted him. Because Hagenman has never been on a 40-man roster before, the team is free to shuttle him between the minors and majors, an option they value \u2014 and a dynamic they could have for years. While they wait for prospects Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell to present themselves as midseason options, Hagenman is a near-term alternative.<\/p>\n

And then there is the actual pitching. The Mets like Hagenman because he doesn\u2019t walk many batters, has an intriguing repertoire and impressed to a degree in his first real taste of being a starting pitcher last season. And given what the Mets\u2019 pitching department has accomplished in the recent past to help hurlers maximize their talents, they think all of the above can be improved upon.<\/p>\n

Hefner referenced helping Hagenman \u201cget back to his roots a little bit\u201d in terms of pitch mix. Specifically, Hagenman noted a return to his original slider after an experiment that didn\u2019t work out last season but wanting to keep a new cutter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey like my ability. They think I can make starts at the big-league level and get people out a couple times. It lines up with how I see myself,\u201d said Hagenman, who pitched in the minors for the Dodgers and Red Sox over the previous seven years. \u201cI can attack hitters multiple ways, get people out a couple of times through the order. I don\u2019t need a whole overhaul. Obviously, I\u2019m trying to get better, do everything I can do. But I don\u2019t need to change everything I do. They kind of like what I do already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hefner said: \u201cI like his compete. Quick to the plate, holds runners well, doesn\u2019t walk a ton of guys, has the ability to miss bats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hagenman\u2019s aggression on the mound is something the rest of the staff could learn from. Last year, the Mets walked 9.6% of batters, the third-highest rate in the majors (and the highest of any playoff team). Hagenman issued walks at a 7.8% clip, which would rank in the bottom third among teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always, always on the attack,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I\u2019m trying to do is make the hitter think about swinging at every pitch. Make the hitter always be ready to go, not give him anything free. Obviously, if you\u2019re pitching on the defensive, it\u2019s a lot harder and they can get more comfortable in the box. So just always, always being on the attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

After three seasons at Penn State, Hagenman turned pro in 2018, when the Dodgers selected him in the 23rd round of the draft. From there, he climbed through Los Angeles\u2019 farm system at a normal pace, competing mostly as a reliever, reaching Triple-A in 2022.<\/p>\n

In July 2023, the Dodgers shipped him (and fellow righthander Nick Robertson) to the Red Sox to reacquire Enrique Hernandez, their longtime utilityman and perennial October hero. In his first and only full season with Boston, Hagenman served as something of a swingman for the Triple-A club, making 15 starts and 13 relief appearances, posting a 4.91 ERA in a personal-high 91 2\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

And then he hit free agency \u2014 minor-league free agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really know what to expect,\u201d Hagenman said. \u201cThere were a couple teams that reached out with interest pretty early on, the Mets being one of them . . . Talking to the guys, talking to the staff, talking to everyone I could talk to within the building \u2014 it seemed right. It fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notes & quotes<\/strong>: Tylor Megill\u2019s bid to win a rotation spot continued in the Mets\u2019 7-4 loss to the Astros on Tuesday. He struck out five in four scoreless innings against a representative Houston lineup that featured Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes and Yordan Alvarez at the top. \u201cHe got ahead and stayed on the attack. That was really good to see,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s going to take with him: attacking hitters and being around the zone\u201d . . . Utility infielder candidate Donovan Walton hit a grand slam . . . Luisangel Acuna went 2-for-3, raising his Grapefruit League average to .261 (.596 OPS).<\/p>\n

\n

Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of \u201cHometown Hardball,\u201d a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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