Bullpens are like opening a pack of baseball cards – you never know what you’re gonna get. No matter what a pitcher’s track record is, there are always arms that come out of nowhere and surprise us. Last season for the New York Mets, it was 27-year old rookie Dedniel Nunez.
This offseason, the Mets signed A.J. Minter to be their top lefty out of the ‘pen. However, Minter may not be ready for Opening Day after undergoing season ending left hip surgery last August. While the Mets still have Danny Young, there is opportunity for under the rader options to emerge as important pieces in the Mets bullpen.
Who are some spring training invitees that may surprisingly contribute to the Mets bullpen in 2025?
1) Brandon Waddell
The 30-year old lefty Brandon Waddell was a fifth round pick in the 2015 draft. He made his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2020, but was waived in the offseason. In 2021, Waddell played in brief stints for the Twins, Orioles, and Cardinals, but was designated for assignment by all them and subsequently released by St. Louis on July 13. Over 12.2 career MLB innings, Waddell pitched to an ERA of 5.68 and a 2.13 WHIP.
From 2022 to 2024, Waddell pitched in the KBO and CPBL for the Doosan Bears and Rakuten Monkeys. Waddell excelled in his 3 seasons in Korea, making 43 starts with an ERA of 2.98 over 244 innings. Waddell kept the ball in the ballpark with a 0.4 HR/9 and only allowed 7.8 H/9.
A fastball/slider pitcher, clearly Stearns sees something in Waddell that warranted bringing him back to America, and could be the lefty out of the ‘pen to start 2025.
2) Anthony Gose
Anthony Gose, drafted by the Phillies as an outfielder in 2008, is most famous for being part of the 2010 trade that brought Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia. While considered a top outfield prospect, Gose never was able to find sustained success on that side of the ball, and in 2017 converted to a pitcher.
After spending his late 20’s developing as a pitcher in the minors, the lefty Gose improbably got called up at the age of 30 by Cleveland in 2021. A fastball/slider pitcher, Gose had an impressive debut, pitching 6.2 innings and only giving up 2 hits and 1 run and striking out 9 batters. Gose averaged 99 MPH on his fastball.
In 2022, Gose pitched 21 innings for Cleveland, impressively striking out 28 batters but struggled with his control. Gose had a 4.71 ERA but finished 3 games for Cleveland, before having a season ending injury that required Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2023 season.
In 2024, Gose pitched in 3 games for the Guardians, but struggled with a 10.38 ERA and 2.31 WHIP. However, in AAA, Gose had an 11.89 K/9 and 3.22 ERA in 44 innings. Yet, he struggled with his control, with 5.44 BB/9.
If the Mets can harness some control out of Gose, the 34-year old hard throwing lefty has the makings to excel in the Mets bullpen in 2025.
3) Chris Devenski
During Chris Devenski’s rookie season in 2016, he was one of the best pitchers in the league. For the Astros, Devenski pitched 108.1 innings with a 2.16 ERA and 2.34 FIP. He kept the ball in the ballpark and only gave up 4 HR with a rate of 0.33 HR/9. He also demonstrated great control, averaging 1.66 BB/9. Devenski accumulated 2.1 fWAR as a RP, which tied him with Jeurys Familia and Kelvin Herrera for 10th in the MLB. Devenski was in the same company as Addison Reed, who finished with 2.4 fWAR for the Mets, and Edwin Diaz, who had 1.9 fWAR for the Mariners his rookie season.
In 2017, Devenski followed up with another strong season, pitching 80.2 innings with a 2.68 ERA and 3.49 FIP, and was named to the All-Star game. However, the righty showed signs of regression, as his HR/9 rose to 1.23 and his BB/9 increased to 2.90. But, his K/9 increased from 8.64 his rookie season to 11.16.
From 2018 to 2024, injuries and ineffectiveness has caused Devenski to bounce around the league, unable to perform at the high level of the beginning of his career. However, for the Mariners AAA club last season, Devenski pitched 23 innings with a 2.35 ERA, so he may have some left in the tank.
Whether you pitched overseas in Asia, converted from an outfielder to a pitcher, or trying to revive former glory, there are many different routes to find oneself back in an MLB bullpen. Waddell, Gose, and Devenski may surprisingly each contribute to the Mets bullpen in 2025.
