Mets 2024 Positional Outlook: Relief Pitchers

It’s time for the longest positional outlook article of the bunch — relievers! With 19 different players showing up on this list, here’s everything you need to know about how the Mets bullpen will look heading into the 2024 season.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Big League Bullpen

Edwin Díaz

Age: 29 (3/22/1994)
Contract: Five years, $102M (opt-out after 2025, club option for 2028)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: N/A

2024 Preview: Sound the trumpets because Edwin Díaz is back. The best closer in baseball missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic a couple of weeks before the season. It felt like the Mets never recovered from the loss, and was an omen of what was to come.

As long as he’s healthy — and he looked it on Monday — he’s the best relief pitcher in baseball. There’s not much more to be said. Díaz is electric and incredibly important to this team, and his return should give the Mets a boost that’s probably still being seriously understated.

Adam Ottavino

Age: 38 (11/22/1985)
Contract: One year, $4.5M
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: N/A

2024 Preview: Adam Ottavino has been a good Met. Signed to a two-year deal ahead of the 2022 season, Ottavino put up a 2.62 ERA in 127 and ⅓ innings throughout the contract. Most impressively, he did it in his age-36 and age-37 seasons. In the last decade, he’s just one of three pitchers age 36 or older to appear in at least 100 games with an ERA+ over 150, joining Pat Neshek and Chris Martin.

The Mets lured him off SNY and back into the bullpen for another season, and he’s slated to be one of the primary late-inning relievers again. Right now, it looks like Ottavino’s the most likely option to pitch in front of Díaz… at least when righties are due up. When there’s a big lefty coming up, it’ll be time for…

Brooks Raley

Age: 35 (6/29/1998)
Contract: Three year, $15.25M (Arb Eligible in 2025, free agent after 2025)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: 0

2024 Preview: Brooks Raley was excellent for the Mets in 2023, especially after being pressed into more high-leverage roles than he probably expected going into the season after Díaz got hurt. The primary (and often only) lefty in the pen, Raley was maybe the most important reliever the Mets had last year.

He’ll be the primary southpaw again, but he shouldn’t be alone this year. Regardless, the Mets will still rely heavily on him. In a division with left-handed sluggers like Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Kyle Schwarber and more, Raley will need to get some big outs in 2024 — outs that will likely decide some games.

Drew Smith, Photo by Ed Delany of Metmerized

Drew Smith

Age: 30 (9/24/1993)
Contract: One year, $2.225M (free agent after 2024)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: N/A

2024 Preview: Do not let Drew Smith catch the ceremonial first pitch from Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.

In 2022, Smith had a 1.69 ERA through his first 15 games and then caught the first pitch from a SI swimsuit model. From then on, his ERA was 4.20, and he spent nearly two months on the IL.

In 2023, Smith had a 1.93 ERA through his first 15 games and then, once again, caught the first pitch from a SI swimsuit model. From that point on, his ERA was 4.93.

Smith enters his walk year as the longest-tenured Mets pitcher, a wild statement on its own. A predominantly fastball pitcher, Smith also throws a slider, changeup and curveball. However, he ranked in the 82nd percentile in fastball run value (8) in 2023 and 74th percentile in xBA (.224), according to Statcast.

Jake Diekman

Age: 37 (1/27/1987)
Contract: One year, $4M (team option for 2025)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: N/A

2024 Preview: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The New York Mets have acquired a lefty reliever in his mid-to-late 30s who had a sub-3 ERA with the Tampa Bay Rays the year before. Sound familiar? Well, that’s cause it’s almost exactly what happened with Raley going into 2023. Raley was via trade, and Jake Diekman via free agency, but other than that, it matches up pretty well.

Diekman’s ERA on the year was 3.34, but that was due to a dreadful 13-game start with the Chicago White Sox that got him released the first week of May. The Rays picked him up, and in typical Rays fashion, he went on to put up a 2.18 ERA in 50 games with Tampa the rest of the way. His Baseball Savant page is encouraging — even though he still walks a ton of batters — he’ll hopefully be a useful second lefty behind Raley. Relievers are volatile though, especially 37-year-olds with control issues, so who really knows what the Mets will get?

Shintaro Fujinami

Age: 29 (4/12/1994)
Contract: One year, $3.35M
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: 3

2024 Preview: Shintaro Fujinami is maybe the most peculiar reliever the Mets have in their organization, aside from Díaz. He is a project, no doubt, but also a worthwhile one to get into the David Stearns pitching lab. Sure, he had an ERA over seven last season and a staggering -2.1 bWAR, but there are also some things to look to that provide hope.

The A’s had him as a starter to begin last season, and it simply did not work out. He gave up 24 earned runs in 15 innings within his first four starts, which equates to a 14.40 ERA. He was then moved to the bullpen and had a 5.48 ERA the rest of the way. Still, not good, but a far cry from how he started the year. He was traded to the Orioles — a 101-win team — in July and had a 4.85 ERA for them in the final few months. He still was below average, but with an electric fastball and some nasty secondary pitches, he’s worth a look.

If it doesn’t work out, the contract he signed allows him to be optioned to the minor leagues, so no harm in giving him a look. That said, the fact he can be optioned could lead to him not being on the Opening Day roster as the Mets try to juggle their arms, but as one of the higher-paid relievers, the Mets probably want him in the bigs.

Jorge López

Age: 31 (2/10/1993)
Contract: One year, $2M
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: N/A

2024 Preview: There’s probably not one person out there who realistically knows what the Mets will get from Jorge López in 2024. The hard-throwing righty was electric with the Orioles in 2022 until they dealt him to the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline, and it was downhill from there. He struggled with the Twins the rest of the way and was even worse in 2023, ultimately leading to him getting traded to Miami at the 2023 deadline and placed on waivers a month later, landing back in Baltimore.

Like Fujinami, his stuff is interesting enough that he’s worth getting into the pitching lab to see if the Mets can fix him. If they can get him back to his 2022 form, he could become a weapon again. Maybe they can get him away from his 4-seam fastball, which he threw about three times more in 2023 than he did in 2022 and got crushed, and back to his sinker, which has always been his better pitch.

Big-League Depth

Michael Tonkin

Age: 34 (11/19/1989)
Contract: One year, $1M
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: None

2024 Preview: You might have noticed there are just seven players listed under the “Major League Bullpen” section, even though the Mets will carry eight. There’s one role unaccounted for, and that’s the long man. Could that player be one of the depth starters like José Buttó or Joey Lucchesi, or will it be a more traditional reliever capable of going multiple innings? If the Mets opt for the latter, Michael Tonkin is the most likely choice.

After last pitching in the big leagues in 2017, Tonkin appeared in 45 games for the Braves in 2023. He threw 80 innings, most times going two or even three innings, and posted a respectable 4.28 ERA and 1.088 WHIP. He’s far from a lock to make the roster, and if he doesn’t, he’ll have to pass through waivers to remain in the organization. However, his ability to go multiple innings is something many of his competitors can’t offer.

Phil Bickford

Age: 28 (7/10/1995)
Contract: One year, $900K (free agent after 2027)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: None

2024 Preview: The Mets acquired Phil Bickford for cash from the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline, and he was a serviceable bullpen piece for the final two months. In 25 appearances and 25 ⅓ innings, Bickford put up a 4.62 ERA, a little bit better than what he did in Los Angeles.

Bickford is firmly on the roster bubble right now. Like Tonkin, he is out of options, so if he doesn’t make the team, he’ll have to pass through waivers. Will the Mets send someone like Fujinami down to begin the year so they don’t risk losing one of these relievers who are out of options? Or will they take the chance?

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Reid-Foley

Age: 28 (8/30/1995)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2027)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: None

2024 Preview: Yet another reliever who is out of options, Sean Reid-Foley has been an interesting name in the Mets bullpen mix over the past few seasons. However, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy to cement his role. Over the past three seasons, Reid-Foley has thrown just 38 ⅓ innings in the majors.

At this point, he’s a complete wild card. Right now, Fangraphs RosterResource depth chart has him claiming the final spot in the bullpen … but it also has Ji-man Choi starting at DH, so it shouldn’t exactly be taken as gospel. If the Mets try to sneak him through waivers, will another team even want to take him with his injury history? They can’t keep everyone, hard decisions will have to be made. If he makes it through waivers, he’ll play a role for the Mets at some point in 2024, but that’s a big if.

Yohan Ramírez

Age: 28 (5/6/1995)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2027)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: None

2024 Preview: Yohan Ramírez is the final reliever with no minor league options left who has a conceivable chance of making the roster. The Mets purchased him from the White Sox this winter, just a few months after the Sox claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Statistically, he was fine, appearing in 31 games and finishing with a 4.23 ERA, though it was much better in Pittsburgh before a rough five games in Chicago to close out the year.

With all the other arms gunning for what is likely just one spot in the bullpen, Ramírez is probably a long shot to make the team. Tonkin can function as a long reliever, and Bickford and Reid-Foley have longer histories with the organization. He’s had a fine spring, but it might not be enough to edge out the other candidates. He’s out of options, so if the Mets have to put him through waivers, he could be gone.

Upper-Level Depth

Grant Hartwig

Age: 26 (12/18/1997)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2029)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: 3

2024 Preview: Grant Hartwig is somewhat of a developmental success story. Signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 MLB Draft, Hartwig moved quickly through the minors and found himself in the show two years later. His rookie season had its ups and downs, but he was a solid contributor.

First eight games: 0.79 ERA

Next 12 games: 8.79 ERA

Final eight games: 4.50 ERA

He started hot, and while he hit a rough patch, he found his footing again by the end of the year. Hartwig has already been optioned to minor league camp, but it’s almost a guarantee that he’ll be up at some point in 2024.

Josh Walker

Age: 29 (12/1/1004)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2029)
Roster Status: 40-Man Roster
MiLB Options: 2

2024 Preview: The good: Josh Walker is a lefty. The Mets don’t have many, and the two they currently have are well into their 30s. The bad: In 14 games, he had an 8.10 ERA. It’s a small sample size, but Walker struggled in his first taste of MLB action in 2023.

Like Hartwig, Walker will almost certainly make an appearance in Queens at some point this season. If Raley or Diekman go down, those odds go way up. It’s not a guarantee the Mets replace them with a lefty, they’ve used just one southpaw in the past, but it opens the door for him to get another chance.

Reed Garrett

Age: 31 (1/2/1993)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2029)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: 1

2024 Preview: Claimed off waivers from the Orioles in mid-2023, Reed Garrett appeared in a handful of games for the Mets in the final couple of months. He bounced between Triple-A and the majors, called on whenever the Mets needed a fresh arm. In nine games with the Mets, Garrett put up a 5.82 ERA and 1.235 WHIP, mainly filling innings in low-leverage situations.

Garrett has options, so he’ll likely be on the shuttle from Syracuse to Queens throughout the year. He can go multiple innings, which should help his case, but it’s hard to imagine him jumping ahead of Tonkin on the depth chart.

Kolton Ingram

Age: 27 (10/21/1996)
Contract: Pre-Arbitration (free agent after 2029)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
MiLB Options: 2

2024 Preview: If you didn’t watch much of Wayne Randazzo and the Angels towards the end of last season, you may have missed the MLB debut of Kolton Ingram. The southpaw pitched in five games for the Halos and… wasn’t great. His ERA was over eight, his WHIP over two and simply struggled overall.

The Angels put him on waivers in early February, and he was claimed by the Tigers, only to be put back on waivers a few weeks later and land with the Mets. He’s a lefty who can provide further depth behind Walker.

Nate Lavender, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Coming Soon

Nate Lavender

Age: 24 (1/20/2000)
Contract: Minor League
Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster
Rule 5 Eligible: After 2024

2024 Preview: This is where it gets interesting. Nate Lavender has been the breakout name from spring training, and for good reason. He’s made three appearances and thrown three innings — all perfect — with seven strikeouts. This comes after a 2023 minor league campaign where he put up a 2.98 ERA over 54 and ⅓ innings, mostly at Triple-A.

A lefty, Lavender looks poised to take a prominent role in the Mets bullpen soon. He won’t be on the Opening Day roster, but if Raley or Diekman get hurt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lavender jump Walker and Ingram and get the call.

Paul Gervase

Age: 23 (5/23/2000)
Contract: Minor League
Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster
Rule 5 Eligible: After 2025

2024 Preview: Paul Gervase is one of the more interesting relief arms coming down the pipeline. A little further behind Lavender, Gervase overpowered hitters at High-A in 2023 before moving to Double-A for the final month of the season. While he wasn’t quite as dominant, he was still good and ultimately finished the season with a 2.05 ERA in 57 innings between both levels.

Most impressively, in those 57 innings, he struck out 96 batters. His 38.6% strikeout rate was tied for first among all Mets minor leaguers with at least 20 innings pitched in 2023. However, he also walked 42 batters, putting it at the 12th-highest in the organization (and the second-highest among pitchers who appeared at Double-A or higher). If Gervase can keep the walks in check, a big league call in the second half of the season is possible.

Eric Orze

Age: 26 (8/21/1997)
Contract: Minor League
Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster
Rule 5 Eligible: Now (not selected)

2024 Preview: A few years ago, Eric Orze was a much bigger name in the prospect scene. Going into the 2022 season, he was even No. 17 in the organization on the MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list. At that time, Orze was coming off of a season where he ripped through High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, finishing the year with an ERA of just over three. However, he’s spent two full seasons in Triple-A since then and posted an ERA over five in both years.

The biggest concern is his walks rate, which jumped from about 7% in 2022 to over 15% in 2023, a huge step back. If Orze can recapture some of what made him successful in 2021, he could still get an MLB look.

Trey McLoughlin

Age: 24 (6/11/1999)
Contract: Minor League
Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster
Rule 5 Eligible: After 2024

2024 Preview: A Fairfield University product, Trey McLoughlin has turned in back-to-back strong years as he’s climbing the levels of the minor leagues. He reached as high as Double-A last season and was overall solid, putting up an ERA a little under three in 51 and ⅔ innings.

He hasn’t stood out in any one area, but overall, McLoughlin has been a solid contributor in the lower levels of the minor leagues. If he continues to shine in Triple-A in 2024, he could earn himself a look in Queens.

Keep an Out Eye For…

There are just too many pitchers to include all of them on this list, but here are a couple of other names worth mentioning.

The Mets have a handful of non-roster invitees in camp, including Austin Adams, Cole Sulser, Yacksel Rios, Chad Smith and Danny Young. None likely have a chance of making the roster, but maybe a couple of them end up in Triple-A.

Other minor leaguers like Nolan Clenney, Justin Courtney, Hunter Parsons and Josh Hejka (submariner!) are worth knowing, and all are close enough to make an MLB impact in 2024 if needed. Bryce Montes de Oca is another player who is interesting to follow, along with Max Kranick, but both will begin the season injured.