McGowan was designated for assignment by the Mets on Wednesday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.
The Mets needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the signing of Jay Bruce, and it appears McGowan was the roster casualty. The 26-year-old spent most of his time in 2017 with Triple-A Las Vegas, compiling a 4.15 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 65 innings. He did appear in eight games for the big club, though he posted a lackluster 5.19 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 8.2 innings. McGowan will report to Las Vegas if he goes unclaimed.