5 NY Mets free agents still without a job as spring training approaches

5) Drew Smith

The Mets actually did precisely what was outlined prior with Kranick to Drew Smith last offseason. He went down with Tommy John surgery in mid-2024 only to re-sign in the offseason to a two-year deal with the second season being a team option. The Mets decided to not pick it up, sending Smith back into free agency.

There could be a couple of reasons for this. His deal was a major league contract which meant carrying him on the big league roster. Maybe the plan was, all along, to target others. Smith can be a decent middle reliever you use in wins or losses. The lack of options would have probably made him expendable at the first sign of trouble.

Smith may end up needing to settle on a minor league deal. An entire lost season will require him to prove himself on some level. What about one of those ever-popular split contracts that’ll pay him one amount in the majors and another as a minor leaguer?

Guessing where Smith signs is like trying to predict how much snow we’ll get in March 2125. A Fort Worth native, the Texas Rangers are a good guess.