Former Braves pitcher is the next NY Mets free agent signing they should make

The New York Mets added much needed bullpen depth by signing former New York Yankee closer Luke Weaver to a 2-year, $22 million contract. While this move is definitely a step in the right direction following Edwin Diaz's departure, there is still more work to be done.

The Mets will likely be out on the rest of the big-name relievers this offseason, and former first-round pick LHP Sean Newcomb should be on David Stearns' radar to round out this Met bullpen for the 2026 season.

Who is Sean Newcomb?

Newcomb was drafted 15th overall in 2014 by the then Anaheim Angels and was traded to the Atlanta Braves in a package for Andrelton Simmons in the 2015 offseason. After spending six years in Atlanta, he bounced around the league before signing with the Boston Red Sox in January of 2025.

After he allowed 18 earned runs in 12 appearances, the Red Sox designated him for assignment, where the Athletics picked him up for cash considerations in late May. It was in Sacramento where he really began to shine.

In 36 appearances with the Athletics, he allowed only 10 earned runs, struck out 50 batters, posted 1.7 WAR, and had an impressive ERA+ of 240. He finished his Boston tenure with a -0.1 WAR and an ERA+ of 105, emphasizing just how dramatic Sean Newcomb's turnaround was to finish 2025.

Why is Newcomb a fit for the Mets in 2026?

Only eight left-handed relievers pitched 70 or more innings last season, and of those pitchers, Sean Newcomb ranks second in ERA with a 2.19. For a bullpen that finished the 2025 season with the second-most innings pitched in all of baseball, signing a player who has experience being a workhorse adds a sense of durability that this bullpen needs.

The other reason Newcomb would be a great fit for the Mets in 2026 is that he fills the need for another reliable left-handed reliever. A.J. Minter is hoping to have a normal spring training to get back to the team as soon as possible, but is still uncertain for opening day. That would leave Brooks Raley and Richard Lovelady as the only left-handed options.

Even if Minter is healthy, Sean Newcomb gives the Mets a left-handed option better than Lovelady, who can handle a big workload and strengthen a bullpen that lacks depth. With the way he finished 2025, he’s a perfect low-risk signing to see if he can continue his success in 2026.