Lamet 'ready to go' after whirlwind week
PHOENIX -- On Monday morning, Dinelson Lamet woke up still a member of the Padres. By that afternoon, he was part of the Brewers’ organization -- his new team for only two days, because by Friday, he learned he’d be headed to the Rockies.
A whirlwind week? For sure. However, it was a turn of events Lamet knew was possible in baseball. As the right-hander put it, players “understand the business.”
“This whole week’s just been kind of crazy,” Lamet said through an interpreter. “But I’m excited for this opportunity. I get to put on a uniform and get to go play, so I’m ready to go.”
Lamet arrived in Phoenix on Saturday and headed to Chase Field, where he met his new teammates. He was activated prior to the Rockies' 3-2 win over the D-backs and joined their bullpen, where he’ll look to prove himself to a new club over the next two months.
Over the previous five days, Lamet didn’t physically go anywhere. He remained in San Diego with his family -- including his mother, who lives in the area -- and waited. Meanwhile, his name kept moving through the transaction logs.
First, Lamet was dealt by the Padres -- the only organization he had known since signing as an international free agent in 2014 -- to the Brewers, one of four players heading to Milwaukee in exchange for All-Star closer Josh Hader on Monday, a day before the Trade Deadline.
But the Crew’s bullpen mix quickly became crowded. In addition to Lamet, they received Taylor Rogers from the Padres. They also went out and acquired Matt Bush from the Rangers and Trevor Rosenthal from the Giants.
By Wednesday, Milwaukee had decided to designate Lamet for assignment, exposing him to waivers.
“I was a little disappointed. You want to be part of the team, you want to help,” Lamet said. “It was a waiting game to see where I was going to go.”
It seemed likely there would be at least one team to put in a waiver claim, willing to take a chance on the 30-year-old who finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2020. In came the Rockies, who had seen firsthand the previous success Lamet had experienced while playing in the NL West, leading to their decision to acquire him Friday.
Finally, Lamet had clarity on his baseball future. On Saturday, he was back in a clubhouse with a team and could start to focus again on his pitching routine and preparing for a fresh start.
“When you leave your organization for the first time -- and in between it you’re with a team just for a day or two before they’ve made a move -- I think it’s just, more than anything, unsettling to a player,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “But players quickly adjust, quickly adapt. And I think that’s where he is now. He’s in a uniform, he knows a few guys on this team. The ballpark’s always a sanctuary for players. So I think he’s settled in, or will be settled in real quick.”
Lamet hasn’t pitched since July 30, so Black wanted the righty to do some mound work upon his arrival Saturday and then give him a few days to get acclimated to the team before inserting him into a game. When Lamet eventually does that with the Rockies for the first time, he’ll be trying to have more success than he’s had for most of 2022.
In 13 relief appearances for the Padres this season, Lamet had a 9.49 ERA. It’s the first time in his five-year big league career that he’s worked exclusively out of the bullpen. He had a 2.09 ERA over 12 starts in the shortened '20 season, then posted a 4.40 ERA in 22 games (nine starts) during a '21 campaign in which he was affected by a right elbow injury.
For now, Lamet is a reliever. But Black didn’t rule out Lamet joining the starting mix in the future. He’s not set to become a free agent until 2024 (he’s arbitration eligible in '23), so there’s a possibility Lamet could provide rotation depth and compete for a spot next season.
In the bullpen, though, Lamet has the potential to be another back-end arm who could excel late in games. Colorado already has some solid relievers -- such as Carlos Estévez and closer Daniel Bard, who combined for two scoreless innings to seal Saturday’s win -- and adding Lamet as a viable option would only strengthen that unit.
Regardless of his role, Lamet just wants to prove he can get back to the stellar form he showed at times earlier in his career.
“The most important thing is I’m healthy, that’s the biggest thing,” Lamet said. “If they need me to start, I’ll start. I’m here for what the team needs. If they want me to throw for one inning, I’m ready to go one inning. ...
“They know who I am, they know what I can bring to the table and I’m ready to go.”