NY Mets Monday Morning GM: A squandered free agent signing we wish was worth raving about

David Stearns isn’t winning any popularity contests and a lot of it has to do with how many beloved players he let go in the offseason. One part of the roster expected to have massive turnover was the bullpen. A major part of what sank the 2025 New York Mets was the pitching and while he fatally kept the rotation largely intact, several of the relief pitcher holdovers have been a big part of what has kept this from being an all-time worst season.

Luke Weaver is just about the only significant relief pitcher brought in over the winter who has excelled. Shaky at times early on, his scoreless streak dating back to the end of April/early May (depending on when you want to define it) has made him a popular player. He has been joined by Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban, and a guy we wish we got to see a lot more in a Mets uniform, A.J. Minter.

Now 12.2 innings without an earned run allowed, it’s time we tip our caps to this free agent signing which, combined with the 1.64 ERA performance in the limited 11 frames from last season, has done nothing but help the Mets win games. The only problem is Minter hasn’t been present enough.

The A.J. Minter signing has been one of the better Mets moves over the last two years sans injury

You cannot, will not, and must not eliminate the fact that Minter has missed as much time as he did. Factor in as well that he was coming off of an injury after the 2024 season and there’s some discrediting to the deal in the first place. However, with results this good and Minter pitching so well for the club this year, it’s unfair to classify this in the same way as deals for Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, or any other player added by Stearns for a guy more familiar with the IL than the box score.

It’s not fool’s gold with Minter who has a .133 batting average against him with only a single walk and 10 strikeouts. An outrageous 0.55 WHIP since his IL return on May 26 is the result of soft-contact, throwing strikes, and avoiding any implosions. The two runs he has given up this year came from the ghost runner in a loss and most recently courtesy of a combination of errors by Bo Bichette and Mark Vientos.

In some ways a forgotten Mets signing because he was gone before we knew it in 2025, Minter was a high-priced veteran the Mets didn’t let hold them back this offseason from bringing in Weaver and Devin Williams this winter. Three $10+ million contracts intended for the bullpen (along with Sean Manaea for a good chunk of this year) is a lot to ask for and the Mets delivered.

Without a doubt the strength of the Mets this year, Minter’s stay in New York will help confirm or deny how much the front office believes in the team. A little over a month before the official August 3rd trade deadline, selling him seems like a practical symbol of waving the white flag on a season that was essentially lost before he even debuted this year.

Minter now has a 0.76 ERA in 23.2 innings for the Mets. Included in his dominance is a 0.76 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9, and 9.1 K/9. What could have been a finishing touch in consecutive seasons has, instead, been a good free agent signing wasted.

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