Misch, O’Conner Become Free Agents

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, southpaws Pat Misch and Mike O’Conner have become minor league free agents and “are eligible to sign with any organization because they were not on the Mets’ 40-man roster and had amassed six years of minor league service.”

Misch allowed eight runs on 11 hits and four walks over seven innings of work in six appearances out of the pen with the Mets this season. For Triple-A Buffalo, the left hander was 8-9 (22 starts) with a 4.00 ERA over 141 2/3 innings:

O’Conner, who was signed by the New York Mets as a Minor League free agent on March 8, 2010, appeared in nine games this season allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 Innings.

Like Misch, O’Conner spent most of his time with Triple-A Buffalo and in 39 relief appearances, the southpaw boasted a less then impressive 5.22 ERA over 60 1/3 innings of work.

As Rubin points out in his post, the Mets will continue to search for left-handed relief help this off-season:

The Mets signed left-hander Tim Byrdak to an extension to serve as one southpaw for the 2012 bullpen. Daniel Herrera is under the team’s control too after being acquired in the Francisco Rodriguez trade, but the Mets will be searching for other left-handed relief help this offseason to complement Byrdak. The concern is that NL East hitters will quickly become familiar with Herrera’s screwball and have success against him.”