Red Sox give former NY Mets player what could be his last chance before retirement

Former New York Mets reliever Adam Ottavino hit free agency this offseason and finally found a new home. He has signed a minor league contract with one of his former clubs, the Boston Red Sox, in what could be one of, if not his last, season in Major League Baseball.

Ottavino ended his three-year run with the Mets with a 3.14 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP. He struck out 27.6% of opponents with an 8.9% walk rate and put up a 0.93 HR/9. The right-hander was also great at preventing hard contact with an 86.8 MPH exit velocity and 4.7% barrel percentage. Ottavino proved to be a durable arm for the Mets, as he appeared in the most games as a reliever by a large margin. He came out of the pen 192 times, with the next closest Met being Drew Smith at 125 games.

Although Ottavino had a poor ERA in 2024, sitting at 4.34, he was in the 84th percentile of xERA at 3.19. Expected ERA wasn’t the only stat that pinned him as a sub-4.00 ERA pitcher. He also had a quality 3.19 SIERA and 3.67 xFIP. Ottavino, despite being in his age-38 campaign, still displayed a quality pitch mix. Stuff+ pinned him at an above-average 109. Four of the five pitches Ottavino used at least 5% of the time induced a sub-.300 xwOBA as well. Ottavino also had some solid peripherals, including a 28.6% K%, 9.4% walk rate, 0.96 HR/9, 87.1 MPH exit velo, and 7.6% barrel percentage. 

2025 could be Adam Ottavino's last Major League opportunity.

His underlying numbers are decent, but Ottavino will be 39 for the entirety of the 2025 season. He also had to settle for a minor league contract, which already puts him on the back foot. He will have to compete with other non-roster invitees this spring training, including Robert Stock, Michael Fulmer, Bryan Mata, and Austin Adams. Since it is a minor league contract, it also means he will be fighting for a 40-man roster spot.

Ottavino’s age already puts his MLB career on a timer. Very few relievers remain effective into their 40s. Only 14 individual relievers have managed to put up an ERA+ of at least 110 in 30+ innings in the 2000s after turning 40. His opportunities are also drying up, given he had to settle for a non-guaranteed deal. We shall see how the former Mets reliever does in 2025. His quality peripherals could help him battle against further decline. However, it is equally, if not more likely, that he starts showing his age, which leads to the end of his career.