NEW YORK — The Mets have continued making minor moves to bolster their bullpen early in the offseason, with more changes announced on Friday.
The team reached a one-year deal with right-hander Sean Reid-Foley to avoid arbitration. Meanwhile, left-hander Alex Young and right-hander Grant Hartwig were not tendered contracts, making them free agents. Additionally, the Mets parted ways with Alex Ramírez, a former top outfield prospect.
Although Ramírez and Hartwig weren’t arbitration-eligible, their departures opened up spots on the 40-man roster.
All other arbitration-eligible players, including outfielder Tyrone Taylor, catcher Luis Torrens, and pitchers Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill, and David Peterson, agreed to contracts.
The 29-year-old Reid-Foley had a 1.66 ERA and struck out 25 batters in 21 2/3 innings during his 23 appearances this season. However, he missed Opening Day because of an impingement in his right shoulder that returned in June and kept him out of action for the whole second half of the season. Over the past five years, Reid-Foley has averaged 13 1/3 innings per season, mostly due to his inability to stay healthy.
After the Mets acquired Young, 31, off waivers from the Giants, he pitched 14 games with a 3.29 ERA. Over the past four seasons, he has switched teams five times.
Ramírez, 21, has generated OPS marks of.627 and.590 in the two seasons since he seemed to break out with a great performance spanning two Class A levels in 2022.
After having surgery to repair a damaged meniscus in his left knee, 26-year-old Hartwig missed the second half of this season after playing in 32 games for the Mets during the previous two years.
Clubs had until Friday to offer contracts to everyone who wasn’t under guaranteed deals. This includes arbitration-eligible players with two to six years of service time, as well as the group of players with fewer than three years of service time, all of whom earn almost the Major League minimum. Occasionally, the arbitration process results in non-tenders by raising those players’ salary above what their employers believe they are worth.
Blackburn, the Mets’ only other noteworthy non-tender possibility, may not be ready for Opening Day following surgery in October to fix a spinal fluid leak. Blackburn will be entitled to a rise above the $3.45 million he earned the previous season as he enters his final year of team control. Although it was risky to tender him, the Mets’ desire for as many starting pitchers as possible overcame any austerity concerns.
Alex Young, Alex Ramirez, and Grant Hartwig, nontenders with the Mets
Three Mets players—RHP Grant Hartwig, OF Alex Ramirez, and LHP Alex Young—are not tendered at tonight’s non-tender deadline. Every other player who qualified was offered a contract. The Mets also signed Sean Reid-Foley to a one-year contract (terms unknown, but probably for a low price that kept him on the team).
The three non-tendered players aren’t all that shocking. The Mets already have a number of more intriguing relief alternatives, and Hartwig was awful in Triple-A and was hammered during his brief stint in the main leagues this season. The team will undoubtedly attempt to improve on Alex Young, who was deemed relatively usable after being claimed off waivers by the Reds in the middle of the season. In the past two seasons, Alex Ramirez, a previous top-100 prospect, has witnessed a sharp decline in his stock. After recording a 78 wRC+ with High-A Brooklyn in 2023, he scored a pitiful 74 wRC+ with Double-A Binghamton. He showed little discernible development outside of the stolen base department.
The only major shocks among the players the Mets did tender contracts to were Paul Blackburn and Luis Torrens. Blackburn, who was acquired by the Mets from the A’s during the trade deadline, has an arbitration debt of less than $5 million. Though there were rumors that he would be fired due to his back issue, the fact that the Mets offered him a contract may be encouraging. Torrens, on the other hand, is a passable backup catcher, but you could picture the team trying to improve.
The Mets may be interested in a few more well-known non-tenders around the league. Although another team probably provides him a shot to start, Brendan Rodgers, who was unexpectedly cut by the Rockies, might make sense as a greater upside alternative to fill Jose Iglesias’ position. Although the fit is a little strange with the trade for Jose Siri, Dylan Carlson, a former top prospect who was not tendered by the Rays, would be of interest. On the mound, the Mets may be considering left-handed bullpen addition Hoby Milner, a previous Stearns pickup who was released by the Brewers. Colin Poche, who was cut loose by the Rays, could do the same.
With just 31 players remaining on the 40-man roster, David Stearns and the rest of the front office have plenty of leeway going into the Winter Meetings in early December.