Chasen Shreve
Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The New York Mets have begun their offseason player transactions by signing left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve to a minor-league contract.

The offseason has arrived, and after finally hiring a new manager in Carlos Beltrán, the New York Mets have begun acquiring players.

On Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the Mets have inked a minor-league deal with relief pitcher Chasen Shreve. The left-hander most recently spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The deal includes an invite to the team’s Spring Training. New York will open up its 2020 Spring Training schedule with a split-squad game against the Miami Marlins on Feb. 22.

This past season, Shreve only appeared in three games for the Cardinals. In his two innings of work, he posted a record of 1-0, allowing two hits and two earned runs. His full Cardinals tenure was from 2018-19.

Additionally, Shreve spent time with the Atlanta Braves (2014) and New York Yankees (2015-18). Arguably his best season was in 2015 when he appeared in 59 games for the Bombers. During that campaign, he posted a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.406. Shreve also struck out 64 batters and walked 33 through a total of 58.1 innings pitched.

If Shreve eventually receives a promotion to the big-league club, he’ll be expected to add some firepower to a bullpen that desperately needs to improve. The Mets relievers had some issues in 2019, finishing 25th in the majors with a combined 4.95 ERA. Needless to say, they were a dark spot for this organization for much of the year.

Follow Ryan on TWITTER

Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.