The Mets added some potential pitching depth Friday in claiming Cooper Criswell from the Red Sox.
The righty, who was used as a swingman last season, had been designated for assignment Thursday as fallout from Boston’s five-player trade with the Pirates.
The Red Sox had hoped to keep Criswell by signing him to a reported guaranteed, $800,000 contract earlier in the offseason, thus making him less appealing on waivers because of the guarantees and giving Criswell more incentive to accept an outright assignment from the Red Sox.
The plan did not work as the Mets picked up the 29-year-old.
Criswell mostly served as a bulk reliever in seven major league games last season in which he pitched to a 3.57 ERA and owned a 3.70 ERA in 16 Triple-A games, mostly as a starter.
The Mets’ new pitching coach, Justin Willard, previously had served as Boston’s director of pitching.
If he survives the rest of the offseason in the Mets’ system, Criswell would join Justin Hagenman and Brandon Waddell as swingman options in camp.
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Of the trio, only Hagenman can be optioned to the minors.
