Arbitration numbers are coming in today and as expected, the New York Mets plan to pay a pair of injured pitchers in 2026 even with no plan of seeing them take the field. Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett were tendered contracts back in November despite both appearing unlikely to do anything more than rehab for the coming season.
This isn’t completely out of the ordinary as the Mets have even signed players in free agency with no intention of ever seeing them pitch. Drew Smith got a major league deal last winter only to sit out as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Still present within the organization, but on a minor league deal, we find Adbert Alzolay who could have an impact on the 2026 team.
Megill and Garrett will make a combined $4 million. Megill gets $2.5 million of it with Garrett at $1.3 million.
The Mets are making a $3.8 million investment into their 2027 roster
Megill and Garrett should have significant roles in 2027 when both are expected to come back. Megill will be in his final year before free agency while Garrett can be under team control through the 2029 season.
The salary figures come in slightly less than what MLB Trade Rumors predicted back in October. Both got $100K less than what their formula said they would.
The largest arbitration-eligible salary went to David Peterson who got $5 million more than projected. He’ll get $8.1 million in his last year before free agency. This is maybe the most significant number that’ll come out of all of these finalized deals as Peterson is someone the Mets could trade before Opening Day. Getting a half-million more shouldn’t detour too many teams from trading for him. It’s less than the major league minimum.
The Mets have a few more arbitration eligible cases to get to today. Luis Torrens, Francisco Alvarez, and Huascar Brazoban have yet to have numbers posted. Tyrone Taylor agreed to a deal early on in the offseason. There shouldn't be any qualms about coming to terms on contracts with the remaining players. Rarely does there tend to be some sort of disagreement. And after paying money to a pair of players who won't even play and giving Peterson more than expected, the rest should be easy.
