Mears spent his first nine weeks of big-league service in the Detroit bullpen,pitching fairly effectively and posting five saves. At the beginning of September,he was placed in Detroit's starting rotation,but his starting tenure was short-lived. The 2003 Tigers,who finished with the worst record in baseball since the 1962 Mets,were desperate for reliable pitching,but Mears proved inadequate as a starter,never pitching more than 41⁄3innings per outing and racking up an earned run average over 10. After three starts, he spent the remainder of the 2003 season in the Tigers bullpen. His season total of five saves tied him for the team lead with Franklyn Germán.
Mears was returned to the minor leagues by Detroit for the 2004 season, before being released at season's end. He was part of Team Canada in the 2004 Summer Olympics, who finished in fourth place. Mears split 2005 between the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves before retiring following the season.
In September 2015, Mears was promoted from being a Midwestern United States area scout to a role as the national pitching cross-checker for the Boston Red Sox.[1] In January 2020, he was promoted to the role of pitching coordinator with the Red Sox.[2]
On January 30, 2025, Mears was named the pitching rehab lead for the Cleveland Guardians.[3]
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