It won’t be long before the sweet sound of spring fills the air in Florida and Arizona—fungo bats cracking, catchers’ gloves popping, and the oddly satisfying click-clack of metal cleats on dugout concrete. Spring training is the calm before the storm: a chance for most players to shake off the winter rust, get to know new teammates and tweak their mechanics before the grind of 162 games begins. But for some—looking at you, a few New York Mets relievers—this spring is less “warm-up” and more “audition.” Three players seem poised to compete for a bullpen role, a job currently held by Danny Young. It’s time to bring the heat, fellas.

While the spotlight will be on the marquee names this spring in Port St. Lucie, a quieter but meaningful battle will unfold in the Mets’ bullpen.

1) Anthony Gose

I’m tossing Anthony’s name into the bullpen conversation purely because of his upside and undeniable arm talent. A lefty who can pump high 90s with an 86-mph slider isn’t exactly something you stumble upon in the bargain bin. So, how did the Mets scoop him up on a minor-league deal? Well, here’s the plot twist: (deep breath) he started as an outfielder, switched to pitching, had Tommy John surgery in 2022, and oh yeah, he’s turning 35 this year.

His MLB story began in 2012 with the Blue Jays, where he hit .234 with a .301 OBP and .332 slugging over 616 plate appearances. After three seasons, he was traded to the Tigers, where he posted a similar line—.247/.315/.363 in 636 plate appearances over two years. His struggles at the plate eventually led him to reinvent himself, swapping the batter’s box for the pitcher’s mound.

He spent about four seasons in the minors from 2017 to 2021, making stops with the affiliates of Detroit, Texas, and Cleveland before finally earning his way back to the big leagues in September 2021 with Cleveland. His workload since then has been minimal—just 32 innings over three seasons, interrupted by the Tommy John surgery mentioned earlier. It’s been anything but a straightforward path, but here we are.

Despite his unconventional journey, he has all the tools to secure a spot in the Mets bullpen. His 28% strikeout rate, proves he can overpower hitters, while a 70.2% left-on-base percentage shows he’s no stranger to working out of tight spots (both during his time in Cleveland). But the real gem? That slider—a devastating pitch with a 66.7% whiff rate in 2022. Pair that with a high-90s fastball from the left side, and you’ve got a pitcher who can be reliable if he can clean up his control. Sure, he’ll be 35 and coming off Tommy John surgery, but the upside here is undeniable. With the proper instruction from the Mets organization, don’t be shocked if Gose forces his way onto the roster and becomes a piece of the bullpen this season.

2) Genesis Cabrera

In yet another low-risk, high-reward move courtesy of David Stearns, enter Genesis Cabrera—a lefty who’s spent the last six seasons with the Cardinals and Blue Jays. The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with a spring training invite back in November after clearing waivers and hitting free agency. Unlike Anthony Gose, where you’re rolling the dice on raw arm talent and hoping for the best, Cabrera is more of a known quantity. He’s got the track record and the tools to be a useful arm coming out of the pen, and honestly, he might just be one of those sneaky-good pickups that pay off for the Amazins.

Let’s hope the Mets upgraded their PitchCom devices because Cabrera’s bringing a full arsenal to the mound: sinker, cutter, four-seamer, curve, and changeup. Over six seasons, he’s put together a respectable 3.89 ERA, a 22.2% strikeout rate, a 1.349 WHIP, and a 73.4% left-on-base percentage in 272 appearances. His sinker can hit 96 mph, with a changeup and curve coming in at 88 and 78 mph, respectively. That changeup, by the way, saw limited action in 2024 (just 8% of his pitches), but when he threw it, hitters had no chance—posting an impressive 48.1% whiff rate and 0 balls that qualified as hard hit (exit velocity of 95+).

The downsides? Well, there’s a reason Cabrera is on his third team heading into his seventh season. Struggles with his command have become a recurring issue, evident with his 11.4% walk rate, higher than you’d like to see. Add in a 37.8% hard-hit percentage that’s a tick above average, and you start to see why he’s bouncing around. When things go south for him, they tend to spiral.

Though Cabrera’s stats won’t have Timmy blowing his trumpet, there’s real potential if he’s used the right way. With his pitch mix and a few tweaks from Jeremy Hefner, he could become a reliable contributor for the Mets. It’s a low-risk gamble, but one that might just pay off if Cabrera finds his groove.

3) Michael Hobbs

The 25-year-old Hobbs was snagged from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 draft this past December, giving the Mets a low-risk chance to uncover some hidden potential. A 10th-round pick out of St. Mary’s College, the right-hander will start spring training on the active roster, where he’ll have a real shot to make an impression. With a low-to-mid-90s four-seamer and a sharp slider in his three-pitch toolkit, he’s got the ingredients to compete for a bullpen spot.

He put up some eye-catching numbers over four seasons in the Dodgers system: a 3.18 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, a 9.62 K/9 rate, and a stingy 0.76 HR/9, which is well below league average. Opponents managed just a .202 batting average and a .633 OPS against him—solid marks for any reliever. But, like a few others in the Mets’ bullpen mix, his Achilles’ heel is his command. With a 5.16 BB/9, losing the strike zone has been a recurring issue, and it’s something he’ll need to clean up if he wants to stick around in the big leagues.

His 57.2 innings pitched with AA Tulsa last season—a solid workload for a reliever—could be his ticket to carving out a role in the Mets’ bullpen. What sets him apart is his knack for shutting down left-handed hitters and coming through in high-pressure spots. Lefties floundered against him, hitting a meager .173 with a 22.9% strikeout rate over 75 at-bats. When the stakes were high—runners on second and third—Hobbs stepped up, holding hitters to a .187 average and posting a 26.5% K rate in those situations. Add in a 52.7% groundball rate, and you’ve got a pitcher who could be the Mets version of “Wonderboy” this season. If he can harness his control, don’t be surprised if this Rule 5 pick becomes a crucial piece for the Amazins.