NY Mets rumors suggest the hunt isn't over for their questionable roster spot

Teams weren’t bowling each other over to sign an 8.31 ERA pitcher with 18 walks in 21.2 innings last year. Even players with those numbers can get invites to camp. According to one of the latest New York Mets rumors, last year’s results weren’t a big enough turnoff.

Cionel Perez had those horrific numbers last year, but his past has included much better results. His 1.40 ERA in 2022 stands above the rest. A career 55% ground ball rate fits the bill of what the Mets often seek out in free agency. He’ll, instead, join the Washington Nationals on a “prove it” type of contract with no risk.

The salary is probably a little larger than what the Mets would like to pay a guy they’ll ask to go away in a month or so. Perez, a lefty, would be a candidate to fill in for A.J. Minter during his absence. How interested the Mets were is unknown, but it does suggest they’re still looking for upgrades even after trading for Bryan Hudson.

The Mets continue to look for lefty reliever depth pieces as the season approaches

Hudson is an intriguing member of the Mets roster right now, one year removed from his best season in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Perez has a little more distance between his best year with the Baltimore Orioles from back in 2022. Competition never hurt anyone. The Mets need to turn over as many rocks as they can right now.

These kinds of deals will make it difficult for the Mets for a couple of reasons. Andrew Chafin signed a similar deal earlier in the day, paying him $2 million if he makes the Minnesota Twins roster with $1.25 million available in bonuses. He’d have a far smaller chance to make the Mets roster let alone stick around and earn as much money as possible as opposed to joining the Twins who’ll have more patience for him.

The Mets have had a relatively quiet February in terms of smaller transactions. In February, they traded for Hudson, signed Grae Kessinger to a minor league deal, and added MJ Melendez on a split contract.

The lefty bullpen competition seems bound to have a victor with Hudson favored simply because he’s already on the 40-man roster and without options. The Mets can always choose to not carry a second lefty reliever at all behind Brooks Raley. If they’re somehow able to make it through the spring with all starters healthy, David Peterson or Sean Manaea are candidates, too. The team has yet to fully commit to their starting rotation plans for the coming year. We shouldn’t expect a strict six-man rotation from start to finish.

Plenty of matches remain unsigned and yet we need to understand the position those players are in. Lefties who sign with the Mets know they’re not going to stick around for long. It’s probably one of the reasons why they made the Hudson trade. He had no choice.

We should expect the Mets to fully exploit the remaining fragments in free agency as well as any additional waiver options. They’re not content. There’s always room in St. Lucie.