Chris Flexen, the former Doosan Bears’ “ace” and the KBO’s “reverse export myth,” is once again facing a release waiting period after being transferred to the New York Mets.
Multiple local media outlets, including Major League Baseball Trade Rumors (MLBTR) and the New York Post, reported the news of the trade between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets on the 4th (KST).
Flexen was drafted by the Mets in the 14th round (440th overall) of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and broke into the big leagues in 2017. Flexen went 3-6 with a 7.88 ERA in 14 games (nine starts) in his rookie season, but fell short of expectations the following year with a 2-6 record and 12.79 ERA, and then struggled in his third season with a 3-6 record and 6.59 ERA.
After parting ways with the Mets, Flexen was linked to the Doosan Bears of the KBO. Flexen joined the KBO in 2020 and went 8-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 21 regular-season games, but it was in the postseason where he really came into his own. Flexen showed a different “class” that year, picking up four wins in five postseason games, and returned to the United States the following year.
Signing a two-year, $4.75 million deal with the Seattle Mariners, Flexen earned a spot in the starting rotation and was expected to be a four- or five-starter, but it wasn’t until he went 14-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 31 starts in 2021 that he was labeled an “ace.” At the time, Flexen led Seattle’s starters in wins and ERA.
However, in 2022, Flexen’s position began to narrow. After starting the season as a starter based on his performance in 2021, Flexen struggled and was relegated to the bullpen, where he went 8-9 with two saves and a 3.73 ERA in 33 games (22 starts).
A desperate Flexen was given another shot as a starter in this year’s exhibition games and raised expectations with a 3-0 record and 2.65 ERA in five starts, but he failed to record a quality start (six innings or less) in any of his four May starts, suffering four straight losses and failing to rebound out of the bullpen, and was designated for assignment by Seattle on May 28.
After being placed on the disabled list, Flexen’s destination became clear on Thursday. According to local media, the Mets received right-handed pitchers Trevor Gott and Chris Flexen from Seattle in exchange for Zach Merkenhahn. However, Flexen was DFA’d by the Mets at the same time the trade was made, and was placed on the disabled list.토토사이트
The reason the Mets placed Flexen on waivers so soon after acquiring him is because Seattle wanted the Mets to pick up the remainder of Flexen’s salary in exchange for Goetz. Flexen is making $8 million this season and is owed about $3.9 million more. The Mets accepted the deal, embraced Gottlieb and Flexen, and Flexen promptly decided to go on the disabled list.
It was a humiliating experience for Flexen, who was placed on the disabled list immediately after the trade.
Meanwhile, the Mets acquired Gott, who debuted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2015 and went on to play for the Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle, posting a career record of 16-13 with a 4.70 ERA in 221 career appearances with 39 strikeouts and five saves, and a 4.03 ERA in 30 games with seven strikeouts this season, while Seattle’s acquisition of Merkenhein has a 6.00 ERA in three big league appearances this year.