The New York Mets have been on the lookout for a reliable left-handed bullpen arm and got their guy, signing A.J. Minter to a two-year deal worth $22 million, there is a player opt-out after year one of the contract. This is a huge acquisition for this upcoming season as Minter who is 31 years old is now the number one lefty option in the bullpen and has the potential to be a legitimate setup man behind Edwin Diaz. Tanner Scott was viewed as a potential signing but New York Post’s Mike Puma recently reported that it is unlikely the Mets purse him.
A.J. Minter has been a great and reliable reliever all of his career as he spent 8 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, pitching in big games and winning a championship. Minter had a 2.62 ERA last season along with 1.02 WHIP, 4.45 FIP, and .222 BABIP in 34.1 innings pitched. He utilizes three pitches: a 4-seam fastball, which is his most used, cutter, and changeup. His cutter was used about 34.5% last year had a high Chase% of 43.2 along with a 34.0 Whiff%. Minter’s projections are even better for this upcoming season according to OOPSY (projection system to estimate player performance), he is projected to have a 3.45 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, and .285 BABIP.
It is worthy to note that Minter’s 2024 season was cut short in August due to needing required surgery to his hip. Including an opt-out after the first year works out for both sides, if Minter exceeds expectations then he will able to help the Mets and then hit the free agent marker hoping for more money next season. If the hip injury or any injury in general ends up being an issue to his performance then it is likely he would opt into the second and final year of the contract.
Current 2025 Mets Bullpen, including projected ERA for 2025
– Edwin Diaz (R), Closer | 2.91 ERA
– A.J. Minter (L), Setup Man | 3.45 ERA
– José Butto (R) | 3.86 ERA
– Danny Young (L) | 3.56 ERA
– Reed Garrett (R) | 3.42 ERA
– Sean Reid Foley (R) | 3.75 ERA
– Griffin Canning (R), Long Reliever | 4.07 ERA
As of right now, this is a very solid bullpen that has a ton of experience. David Stearns is the one guy in all of baseball where you can trust almost every move regarding pitching, especially when it comes to the bullpen.
