The relief pitcher had a 3.38 ERA in 16 innings at Double-A Binghamton.
The Mets are short a possible future LOOGY, as news broke today that the team has grantedHamilton Bennett his release. Thee's no report on a reason for the move yet, but the two strongest possibilities are that Bennett feels like he can get more work with another team, or he just doesn't feel like playing professional baseball anymore.
Drafted out of Tennessee Wesleyan College in the 29th round of the 2010 draft, Bennett was never going to show up on any hot prospect lists, but he has pitched effectively out of the bullpen throughout his pro career. In 2013, Bennett was promoted to Binghamton after recording a 1.96 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 12 walks in 46 innings at Advanced-A St. Lucie.
After a nice start in Double-A at the end of last season, 2014 has seen Bennett strike out 12 batters and walk three in 16 innings for a 3.38 ERA. The 26-year-old lefty had thrown between 50 and 60 innings in each season from 2011 to 2013, so it's clear he wasn't getting as much work this season as he possibly could.
If he kept up his strong performance, Bennett may have developed into a lefty specialist for the Mets or perhaps been a trade chip for a team that needed one. For now, we'll just have to bemoan the fact that Binghamton has lost what seems like a charming gentleman. Good luck, Ham.