Every NY Mets free agent David Stearns signed who didn’t make it through his contract

5) Michael Tonkin

Michael Tonkin spent parts of the 2013 to 2017 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He performed poorly in an up-and-down reliever role, with just a 95 ERA+ over nearly 150 innings of work. He then went overseas to the NPB in Japan, where he had a solid seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters. While he returned to the US in 2019, he would pitch poorly in 19 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A squads. Tonkin spent 2019 and 2021 in Indy ball before finally resurfacing in the Major Leagues in 2023 with the Atlanta Braves.

Tonkin pitched 80 innings, while posting a 4.28 ERA, 4.43 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP for Atlanta. While he became a free agent after the 2022 season, it was enough for the New York Mets to sign him to a one-year contract in December worth $1 million. However, Tonkin would only end up appearing in just five games for the Mets before he was DFA’d in late April. 

The Yankees them picked up Tonkin on waivers, and he proceeded to produce a solid 3.38 ERA, 3.58 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP over 56 innings in a long relief role. However, despite those respectable numbers, the Yankees did not feel he was an important enough part of their bullpen, and DFA’d him in late August. Tonkin has since returned to the Minnesota Twins, where he has spent parts of the last two seasons, where he has tallied 38.1 innings, and working to a 4.38 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and 1.28 WHIP.