Scott Rice was a first-round pick way back in 1999, going 44th overall to the Orioles out of high school. He spent the next 14 years playing in the minors, including multiple stints in independent leagues. And now he’s headed to the big leagues for the first time.
Rice has secured an Opening Day spot in the Mets’ bullpen after a solid spring training performance that saw the 6-foot-6 left-hander throw 11 innings with a 3.18 ERA and 10/3 K/BB ratio.
Rice wasn’t particularly good at Triple-A last season in the Dodgers’ farm system, posting a 4.40 ERA and 47/22 K/BB ratio in 59 innings, and his overall track record is mostly underwhelming. But he has some chance of being a decent middle reliever for the Mets and most of all a guy cracking an Opening Day roster after 14 seasons and 480 appearances in the minors is just a great story.
Outfielder Marlon Byrd and right-handers LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison also made the Mets on minor-league deals.
