For the New York Mets, there’s no such thing this winter as too many free-agent adds.
The biggest name by far is and always will be Juan Soto, but the Mets are still wheeling and dealing. They’ve brought in Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Clay Holmes, just to throw out the big names.
However, the Mets still have some holes to plug. The bullpen appears to be one of them, as New York ranked in the middle of the pack in nearly all relief pitching stats a season ago.
Obviously, closer Edwin Díaz will be back, seeing as the Mets made him the highest-paid relief pitcher ever a mere two years ago. But adding more high-leverage relievers would go a long way toward making the Mets a more viable contender.
Recently, Allison Waxman of Metsmerized Online listed 2024 All-Star Kirby Yates, most recently of the Texas Rangers, among the top free-agent fits for the Mets’ bullpen this winter.
In 2024, Yates was the second-best reliever in all of baseball behind Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians. He pitched to a ridiculous 1.17 ERA in 61 2/3 innings, while converting 33 of his 34 save opportunities.
Yates is projected for a one-year, $10.5 million contract by Tim Britton of The Athletic. Even as he’s entering his late 30s, it’s hard to imagine Yates making the Mets regret a one-year deal in the midst of this spending spree.
More MLB: Mets likely to re-sign 4-time All-Star ‘sooner rather than later,’ per insider
