Mets to promote RHP Carlos Torres from AAA

The New York Mets will purchase the contract of right-hander Carlos Torres from Triple-A Las Vegas following today's game, according to a source. To clear roster space for him, the team optioned Greg Burke to Las Vegas and designated Collin McHugh for assignment.

Torres, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets in November, is 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 12 starts for Las Vegas. He earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors last week, and has allowed only three earned runs in his last four starts (32 innings).

Because he had a June 12 opt-out date, Torres came to an agreement with the Mets on Thursday that would allow him to seek employment elsewhere if a major league opportunity arose. Torres was told by the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies that they had major league roster spots available for him, and the Mets were given a 48-hour window to either release him or promote him to the big leagues. After two days of deliberation, the team decided that they would hold on to Torres and not allow him to sign with the Rockies or Giants.

In addition to interest from Colorado and San Francisco, Torres also had serious interest from a team in Asia, but never considered that option, according to the source.

In 44 appearances (6 starts) in three major league seasons with the White Sox (2009-2010) and Rockies (2012), Torres is 6-6 with a 5.97 ERA in 95 innings of work. With Colorado in 2012, he appeared in 31 games out of the bullpen, pitching to a 5-3 record and 5.26 ERA.