The deal with the former Braves reliever is for two years and $22 million.
The Mets have agreed to a two-year, $22 million deal with 31-year-old left-hander A.J. Minter. There’s an opt-out after the first year, according to reports.
The Mets have been in the market for bullpen help and they have found it in the form of the career Brave, who has been a fixture in Atlanta’s bullpen for the past seven seasons and was the subject of a free agent profile by our own Chris McShane just a few days ago. Minter threw 34 1⁄3 innings to a 2.63 ERA before a hip issue that required surgery ended his season in August. In 2024, he had an alarming velocity drop and spike in home run rate, but it’s unclear how much the hip was affecting these trends.
Minter features a three-pitch arsenal and his cutter, in particular, got hammered last season. His changeup, which he throws the least often, was his most effective pitch. The fact that he appears to have had robust interest in free agency is an indicator that at least some teams, including the Mets, think his hip won’t be a problem in 2025 and perhaps they envision a tweak in his repertoire that could lead to improved results. In his career, Minter holds a 3.28 ERA with 422 strikeouts in 348 2⁄3 innings.
This is now the second signing the Mets have made in the immediate aftermath of reporting that they are pivoting from Pete Alonso, who the team now expects to sign elsewhere. The Mets now have another high-leverage option for the bullpen, which had featured Danny Young as its only left-handed arm.