NY Mets rumors: Opening Day roster finalized, interest in a familiar free agent

The New York Mets finalized their Opening Day roster a day before game one of the season. Jared Young got the final bench spot. Richard Lovelady is in the bullpen as the second lefty.

Not much of a surprise, recent Mets rumors do indicate the team could look to make another move in the coming days. According to Anthony DiComo, recently released reliever Drew Smith has landed on their radar.

Smith pitched 5.1 scoreless for the Washington Nationals this spring. All of last season was spent rehabbing from Tommy John surgery with the Mets. They didn’t pick up his 2026 option, allowing the once-longest-tenured Mets pitcher to seek out other opportunities. Despite a strong spring, he’s available again and maybe someone the Mets could bring in.

Is Drew Smith a better match for the Mets roster than Richard Lovelady?

It comes down to whether or not the Mets want Smith or Lovelady on the roster. Different handednesses, Smith hasn’t had extreme split differences in his career. A .745 OPS from lefties versus .739 against righties, he has a balanced career.

Of course, it’s bigger than just balance. As the final bullpen addition, he’d come to the Mets on a short leash and in an unclear role. Lovelady is the early inning reliever who’ll be asked to get out lefties or issue a ground ball. Smith, a right-handed fly ball pitcher, feels more like the first guy to come out of the bullpen in games where the Mets are already behind.

Good but not great in parts of six seasons with the Mets, Smith has a career 3.48 ERA and 9.3 K/9 rate. His 4.36 FIP confirms he gets lucky more often than not. An above-average 3.5% of home runs versus the league average of 3.1% reveals the biggest complaint fans often had about him.

Lovelady’s roster spot will be in question with every poor outing. He’s not simply just a placeholder for A.J. Minter. A bad start should have the Mets quickly considering other options, left-handed or right-handed.

From Smith’s perspective, the Mets probably aren’t ideal. Teams with tattered injured lists like the Los Angeles Angels might be more alluring.