The Mets made sure their left-handed flamethrower was not selected in the recent Rule 5 Draft.
Although the Mets lost five players to other teams during Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, they made sure that one of them wasn't Jack Leathersich. Back in November, New York added the lefty to its 40-man roster in order to keep him from being drafted.
Whether that was a good move or a bad one for the Mets is yet to be determined. Although Leathersich has posted ridiculous strikeout rates throughout his minor league career, the lefty has shown inconsistency with his command and his ability to get same-handed hitters out.
As far as Leathersich is concerned, though, the Mets made the right decision. The 24-year-old expressed as much while talking to his hometown newspaper.
"It means I'm on the Major League roster now," Leathersich said. "I'm protected by the Mets. No other team can pick me up, but it's a whole new contract. My agent took care of all of that stuff for me."
"I felt I pitched well enough to deserve it," he said. "When I finally heard the news, it was good. It was just a big sense of relief. It was one of the prouder moments I've had in a while."
After being promoted from Double-A Binghamton during the 2014 season, Leathersich is set to start 2015 at Triple-A Las Vegas. There, he'll work on harnessing his powerful stuff with the hopes of finally being called up to the big leagues four years after the Mets drafted him out of UMass-Lowell in 2011.
"My family is excited," he said. "It's just a step in the right direction. Don't get too high, or too low. Stay at an even keel, but its definitely big news."
With the team as of yet unable to find a veteran lefty for their bullpen, Mets fans are looking forward to seeing Leathersich shine in 2015.