The New York Mets cut ties with former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher

On Thursday, the Mets designated Lovelady for assignment to clear a 40-man spot after acquiring utility infielder Vidal Bruján. That is the clean, procedural explanation, but it still resets his job status overnight.

If you followed Toronto's bullpen churn last spring, the name is familiar for the wrong reasons. The Blue Jays selected his contract, used him twice, then designated him for assignment on March 30.

Lovelady is 30, a lefty drafted in the 10th round out of Kennesaw State, and he has bounced through enough organizations to fill a suitcase. The numbers on paper say «depth,» but the ride has been rough.

As a Jays fan, I still remember how fast that Toronto stint went sideways, and it makes every new DFA feel like déjà vu.

The Mets side is almost comical at this point, because he has been designated repeatedly in a short span, then kept circling back. Even Mets-focused coverage framed this one as a timing play that could help him remain in the organization.

That part is real, because a DFA is not the same as a release, it is a roster step with waiver consequences. New York is gambling that nobody claims him, or that they can keep him as a depth arm in Syracuse again.

For Toronto, this story is a reminder of how thin left-handed relief options can get, and how quickly a «cheap fix» turns into a roster headache. The Jays tried the low-cost look, and the margin for error vanished immediately.

My opinion is the Blue Jays made the right call cutting bait early, even if it looked harsh in March. When your roster is built to contend, you cannot burn innings on a reliever you do not trust.

Now the next milestone is whether Lovelady clears waivers and sticks in the Mets system, because that would keep the carousel spinning. For Jays fans, it's just another lesson in why bullpen stability is never guaranteed.