Jerry Reinsdorf isn’t a fan of Steve Cohen, but it hasn’t stopped the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox from making two offseason trades. Luis Robert Jr. for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley was big. What the Mets did on Tuesday was much smaller.
In exchange for cash, the Mets add Bryan Hudson. The 6’8 lefty is coming off of an unimpressive and abbreviated major league season with the Milwaukee Brewers and later the White Sox. However, he had a monstrous season in 2024.
Sources: The Mets have acquired lefty reliever Bryan Hudson from the White Sox for cash. Hudson was DFAd a few days back. Hudson was terrific for the Brewers in 2024 (1.73 ERA in 62.1IP). But 4.80 ERA in 15 IP with Brewers/White Sox last year.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 10, 2026
This is exactly the kind of trade David Stearns tends to win
Giving up cash for any player deserves no complaint from fans. The only way this is a mistake is if the Mets choose to carry Hudson on their MLB roster and he loses them games. Hudson should be viewed as an Opening Day roster contender who could fill in for A.J. Minter during his IL stint which should only last for about two weeks.
It wouldn’t be impossible for Hudson to actually get DFA’d before Opening Day. The Mets aren’t strangers to bringing in players and adding them back on waivers. It does seem like a worthwhile investment. Hudson’s huge 2024 season for the Milwaukee Brewers is too fresh.
Hudson isn’t just a lefty specialist although he dominated left-handed hitters in 2024. The .118/.218/.235 slash line from left-handed hitters is remarkably clutch. Righties didn’t do much better, slashing .143/.204/.300 against him.
Those 62.1 innings came in 43 games, meaning he is good for more than 3 outs. His lack of minor league options makes him slightly less appealing and can help explain why the White Sox DFA’d him in the first place.
Less season was a mess for Hudson. He had almost 8 walks per 9 and a 4.80 ERA. The sample size was minimal at 15 innings for both teams.
Fastball dominant yet not a particularly hard-thrower, Hudson feels like the kind of reliever who could benefit from adding to his repertoire. He added two pitches last year from his 3-pitch arsenal in 2024. If he’s going to average in the low-90s, going headfirst into throwing another pitch more frequently seems to be one way to turn his career around.
Hudson is one of three active lefty relievers on the 40-man roster with Minter and Brooks Raley as the other two. He won’t save the day, but that sub-2.00 ERA from 2024 is too hard to resist. If the Mets are going to buy into Mark Vientos’ success from two seasons ago, why not with an even lower-risk move like this one?
