Mets sign draft pick Brandon Sproat a year after lack of agreement
Florida starting pitcher Brandon Sproat throws against LSU in the first inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., on June 24. Credit: AP/Rebecca S. Gratz
A year later, Brandon Sproat officially is a member of the Mets’ organization.
They chose the University of Florida righthander in the third round of the draft in 2022. When the sides couldn’t agree on a proper signing bonus, he returned to college for his senior season, re-entered the draft this year and . . . wound up back with the Mets, this time in the second round.
Sproat signed for a $1.4745 million bonus, the exact amount recommended for his slot, No. 56 overall. He made the rounds at Citi Field on Friday, including observing batting practice before the Mets played the Dodgers.
“It’s funny how the world works,” Sproat said. “Drafted last year by the Mets, things didn’t work out. I’m not going to get into the detail about that. Went back to school, bet on myself and ended up back here again. Apparently, God has a plan for me here. We’ll see what that is.”
Because of last year’s happenings, Sproat had to OK the Mets drafting him again. He signed the reconsent form Sunday morning, hours before the Mets called his name.
His decision to accept the Mets possibility came after predraft “dialogue,” as he called it, with the club. Teams and players often talk about financial expectations and potential signing bonuses before the draft.
“For them to bet on me twice, that says a lot,” he said. “Obviously, they see something in me. I’m ready to get to work and see what we can do.”
The Mets also signed their top draft pick, Georgia high school shortstop Colin Houck, who was selected No. 32 overall. His bonus was $2.75 million, a source said, slightly above slot value.
Houck and Sproat will head to Port St. Lucie, Florida, to play for the Mets’ Florida Complex League squad, the lowest stateside level of the minor leagues.
As the rotation turns
Max Scherzer dealt with neck stiffness in recent days but is good to go for his start Sunday against the Dodgers, general manager Billy Eppler said. That issue, a product of sleeping funny, according to Eppler, appeared unrelated to the neck spasms Scherzer encountered earlier this season.
Kodai Senga will pitch Saturday night.
Against the White Sox next week, Carlos Carrasco will go Tuesday and Jose Quintana will pitch Wednesday in his long-awaited, injury-delayed Mets debut.
Quintana threw 84 pitches in a simulated game Thursday.
“I’ve been working a lot to be in this position,” he said. “I’m so excited to be a part of the team.”
Personnel news
The Mets needed to activate Quintana from the injured list Friday because he hit the maximum time allowed to be on a rehab assignment. To clear a roster spot, they designated lefthander T.J. McFarland for assignment.
Squeezed out of the rotation, David Peterson will work out of the bullpen “for now,” Eppler said.
Peterson had a 2.35 ERA in three starts since returning from the minors.
“It’s good to see him pitch better,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Simple as that.”
Extra bases
Tommy Pham, in the lineup Friday night as the DH, wound up being fine after exiting Sunday’s game against the Padres with a tight right groin. “Man, I just trained for the NFL Combine,” he said after a sweaty pregame workout. “You get hurt and have to do three times as much.” . . . Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman threw a ceremonial first pitch . . . Tommy Hunter, a veteran of 16 major-league seasons who was cut by the Mets last month, visited Citi Field with his family. The Hunters live in Ohio but were in town to move out of their apartment. He said that now that he is done with baseball, he has to work on ditching his “dad bod.”
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 “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
