Key NY Mets player will be suiting in the Venezuelan Winter League

A key member of next year’s New York Mets roster will be playing in the Venezuelan Winter League later this month. A David Stearns specialty signing injured players to spend a year rehabbing with the organization, Adbert Alzolay will play in his home country’s winter ball league beginning later this month.

Alzolay agreed to a minor league contract with the Mets with an option for the 2026 season. The Mets signed him in January knowing he’d be unavailable due to Tommy John surgery. Unlike Drew Smith whose option wasn’t picked up by the team this week, Alzolay remains in play to battle for a bullpen spot next season. How he does in winter ball will give us our first preview of what lies ahead post major surgery.

Adbert Alzolay has potential to be one of the most important members of the Mets bullpen next year

Not all pitchers recover the same from Tommy John surgery. A death sentence for some, Brooks Raley is the latest success story on the front lines of the Mets roster. The Mets can only hope Alzolay is as effective.

His entire career has been spent with the Chicago Cubs with the 2023 season being what could be considered his “breakout” season. Regularly working as the team’s closer, Alzolay appeared in 58 games. He finished 38 and logged 22 saves all with a 2.67 ERA in 64 innings. His 1.8 BB/9 stood out as one of the better features in his season.

Chicago took the exact opposite approach with him. Rather than pay him to rehab in 2025, he was non-tendered. It doesn’t make them villains. They didn’t want to get into the same situation the Mets did with Smith which meant paying him to rehab and never reaping any reward. Alzolay had already gone over $2 million while arbitration eligible in 2024.

We should fully expect Alzolay to be ready for Opening Day if not for a minor setback. He last pitched in the majors in May of 2024. He didn’t go under the knife until August.

Alzolay can just as easily become one of the team’s more important relievers or a preseason roster cut. Certain stipulations in his contract may include opt-outs as many deals do with minor league signings. An ideal candidate to handle middle or late innings for the Mets, the upside of what he can be is a right-handed setup man for a returning Edwin Diaz. The low buries him in Syracuse to start the year and we never see him.