Carl

Edwards Jr.

Lambert comes as a bit of a surprise, as he had looked sharp during Grapefruit League play. He should get an opportunity to work out of the Mets’ bullpen at some point in 2026. Edwards will continue to work as a starter at Triple-A Syracuse where he adds quality rotation depth that will be needed throughout the season.

Edwards struck out four batters on the evening. He fired 40 of his 61 pitches for strikes in the contest, generating eight swings and misses (five on his fastball) while posting a CSW of 21 percent. The 34-year-old right-hander has certainly opened some eyes this spring, registering a 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and an 11/4 K/BB ratio across 8 2/3 innings of work. While he’s not going to crack the Opening Day rotation, it sounds like he’ll open the season as extra starting pitching depth at the Triple-A level and should get an opportunity with the big league club at some point during the season.

Could this be another bullpen-to-rotation transition for the Mets? Edwards has only ever been a reliever in the big leagues, posting a 3.56 ERA across 286 innings throughout his career, but he did start in Mexico last season and then in seven games at Triple-A for the Rangers, posting a 5.31 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 26-percent strikeout rate. It seems more likely the Mets keep Edwards in the bullpen, and he’ll also likely only serve as organizational depth, but he’s an interesting name to watch in spring training.

Edwards will test the open market after refusing a late-September outright minor league assignment from the Rangers. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever made a pair of appearances for Texas before being cut loose. He’s made 300 career appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2015.

Edwards figures to elect free agency and get a head start on the offseason after passing through waivers unclaimed. The well-traveled 34-year-old veteran reliever was designated for assignment last week by the Rangers after making a pair of appearances.

The Rangers needed to clear a spot on their roster for the return of Tyler Mahle (shoulder) on Friday and unfortunately Edwards drew the short straw this time around. The 34-year-old hurler has posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 6/3 K/BB ratio over six innings between the Rangers and Angels this season. He could pique the interest of another bullpen needy team on waivers.

Edwards is no stranger to the big leagues, having made a whopping 298 relief appearances since 2015. However, his return to the majors is notable since he opened the year with the Angels prior to a brief stint in the independent Mexican League before signing a minor league pact with the Rangers. He’ll operate in low-leverage spots gobbling up innings for Texas down the home stretch.

Edwards, who made a couple of relief appearances for the Angels in April, had recently been working as a starter in Mexico and went 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA and a 60/24 K/BB in 74 2/3 innings over 14 outings. That’s pretty good in a league that has a 5.90 ERA as a whole. One imagines the Rangers will keep starting him in the minors, but if he is called up at some point, it’d more likely be to pitch in relief.

The 33-year-old hurler was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake after being designated for assignment earlier in the week, but he’ll explore his options instead of remaining in the Angels’ organization. Edwards posted a 9.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 2/1 K/B ratio over three innings with the Halos.

Edwards went unclaimed on waivers after being removed last weekend from Los Angeles’ 40-man roster. The 33-year-old journeyman figures to elect free agency, but might wind up sticking around to see if he gets another shot with the Angels.