The Mets front office opened the checkbook to bring a high-end relief pitcher to the bullpen on Friday afternoon.
According to multiple reports, the Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $22 million deal to add 31-year-old left-hander AJ Minter. SNY’s Andy Martino was the first to report the deal.
Minter has long been an adversary of the Mets, spending his whole eight-year career as a member of the Braves.
The former second round pick of the Braves is coming off a strong campaign, with a 5-4 record, 2.56 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 34 innings. His was cut short following surgery in September to address a left hip impingement.
A.J. Minter feels a massive need
Minter has plenty of experience in high-leverage innings and should help bridge the gap to closer Edwin Diaz for the next two seasons. The southpaw has notched 87 combined holds and 16 saves in the last four seasons.
The left-handed reliever spot was a glaring need for the Mets following the 2024 season after Brooks Raley suffered an April elbow injury and Jake Diekman scuffled and was eventually waived in his lone season in Flushing. The Mets closed the campaign with inexperienced left-handers Danny Young and Alex Young pitching in key spots.
With Minter now in the fold, the Mets bullpen figures to feature Diaz, Reed Garrett, Jose Butto, Danny Young and Sean Reid-Foley heading into spring training.
He has pitched in the biggest games
Minter also provides big-game experience to the Mets bullpen.
On the Braves’ run to the 2021 World Series, Minter appeared in eight games, tossing 12 innings with 18 strikeouts and allowing four earned runs on eight hits and four walks (3.00). In the deciding Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, Minter tossed two scoreless innings with four strikeouts in relief of Ian Anderson.
He has appeared in 20 postseason games, including three World Series games, tossing 25 innings with 36 strikeouts and notching a combined 2.88 ERA.
He’s proven against both sides of the plate
Neither righties nor lefties have seemed to have an advantage against Minter in recent years.
In 2024, lefties had a .684 OPS against Minter, while righties posted a .603 OPS against him. One season earlier, lefties owned an .801 OPS against him, while righties collected a .570 OPS. That trend only extended those two seasons, with Minter holding lefties to a .418 OPS and righties to a .608 OPS in 2022.
That campaign was Minter’s best of his career. In a career-high 75 appearances, the lefty posted a 5-4 record with a 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Minter attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix. He leans on a fastball that hovers in the mid-90s and changes pace with a cutter and changeup. At his best in 2022, Minter limited opponents to a .152 batting average on his fastball and .102 on his changeup.
