NY Mets free agent reunion adds immediate insurance they're always searching for

The 2025 New York Mets season was a turbulent ride, particularly when it came to the bullpen. As the team fought for a playoff spot, the front office was in a near-constant scramble to find reliable arms, and one specific demographic proved especially elusive: left-handed relievers. The search for a dependable southpaw specialist became a recurring theme, with several options failing to stick or provide the high-leverage stability the team desperately needed to complement its core bullpen pieces.

That search led President of Baseball Operations David Stearns to the trade market, and on July 25, the Mets acquired two-time All-Star Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles. The deal, which sent two pitching prospects to Baltimore, was seen as a significant move to finally shore up the bullpen's left side. Soto, 30, was brought in to be a key setup man and high-leverage option. After a rollercoaster finish to his 2025 campaign, Soto is now an unrestricted free agent, presenting the Mets with an intriguing opportunity.

An atypical but necessary insurance policy

To understand why a Soto reunion makes sense, one must first revisit the chaotic state of the Mets' 2025 bullpen. The team cycled through multiple left-handed options, struggling to find a consistent arm to deploy against the heart of opposing left-handed lineups. This deficiency was glaring, forcing manager Carlos Mendoza to overuse other relievers or rely on unfavorable righty-on-lefty matchups in critical situations. The front office's mid-season hunt, culminating in the Soto trade, was a direct admission that the internal options were insufficient and that a proven, high-octane arm was a necessity, not a luxury.

When Soto arrived from Baltimore, he was expected to be a stabilizing force. His tenure in Queens was a tale of two extremes: a dominant August where he posted a 1.64 ERA, followed by a disastrous September where his ERA ballooned. His final numbers with the Mets—a 4.50 ERA over 25 games—don't leap off the page. However, a look at his 2025 Statcast and advanced metrics reveals a far more promising pitcher than his surface-level stats suggest, and it starts with a dramatic improvement in a career-long weakness.

The most significant development for Soto in a Mets uniform was his newfound control. After posting a career walk rate of 11.4%, Soto's 2025 walk rate (BB%) with New York plummeted to an elite 5.0% across his 24 innings of work. His 2025 struggles were almost exclusively tied to his fastballs. Conversely, his breaking pitches remained truly elite, as opponents hit just .156 against his slider and a minuscule .111 against his sweeper.

Admittedly, re-signing Soto would create an atypical bullpen structure. With both A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley slated to return, Soto would represent a third left-hander, a luxury many teams don't carry. However, this is precisely why the Mets should bring him back. He provides immediate, high-quality insurance against the inconsistency or health problems that can derail any bullpen, a lesson the 2025 Mets learned the hard way. Having a third lefty with Soto's high-leverage experience and specific ground-ball-inducing skill set would protect the team from the kind of desperate, mid-season scramble that defined their previous campaign. It's an investment in depth, stability, and the exact kind of insurance they always seem to be searching for.