Tommy Hunter hoping he can return to the Mets
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Tommy Hunter hasn’t pitched a whole lot of innings at the big league level in recent years. When he is on the field, he is pretty productive. His last 30.1 major league innings all came as a member of the New York Mets where he has gone 0-1 with a 1.78 ERA.
Hunter recently spoke about his future in the big leagues. For Mets fans hopeful he’ll be back in the mix, the news is positive. Hunter wants to return.
"My kids love it. As long as they say I can play, then I’m going to keep playing."
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) October 22, 2022
Tommy Hunter, who had a 2.42 ERA in 2022, wants to keep pitching — hopefully with the Mets, if they'll have him: https://t.co/VvNlfUooCK
Is there room for Hunter on the 2023 Mets roster? You better believe it.
The Mets have plenty of space for Tommy Hunter on the 2023 roster
The Mets bullpen is about to be ravaged by free agency. Even if they’re able to bring back a few guys, they’re going to have some big holes left over.
Free agent relievers like Seth Lugo, Trevor May, and Adam Ottavino are all unlikely to return. A new deal with one or maybe even two is possible yet maybe not so likely. That’s just the way relief pitchers role. They tend to change teams often.
Hunter has already worn a couple of different uniforms in his career. He has even returned to the Mets once after a 2021 trade sent him to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Rich Hill. The Mets organization must have made a good impression on him. Hunter returned on a minor league deal in late April of last season and once again gave them quality yet limited innings.
A veteran presence like Hunter for the Opening Day roster is important for the Mets. Even if he’s nothing but one of the last relievers in the bullpen on a low salary, he has a purpose. His recent injury history is definitely something to consider. Because those wins in April and May are just as important as the others in the regular season, the Mets can anticipate an IL stint for him at some point and simply look to benefit from having him around at the start of the year.
Next year could very well be the swan song for Hunter. To start the season, he’s a nice arm to have. It’s good to see he has interest in a reunion already. As someone unlikely to have a whole lot of teams knocking down the door to sign him, he could become an arm the Mets circle back to later on in free agency.
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