A.J. Minter to exercise player option

Veteran reliever A.J. Minter will exercise his $11MM player option to return to the Mets in 2026, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The left-hander originally signed a two-year, $22MM contract with New York, the second season of which was a player option. He got out to a strong start but wound up undergoing surgery to repair a torn lat in mid-May.

Minter, who turned 32 in September, wound up pitching only 11 innings with the Mets before suffering that injury. He held opponents to just two runs on six hits and five walks with 14 punchouts in that small sample. The resulting 1.64 ERA and 31.8% strikeout rate were both excellent. Minter’s average fastball dipped to a career-low 94.4 mph, however, which was a bit concerning given the fact that he was coming off season-ending hip surgery in 2024.

That’s now two straight seasons ending with surgery for Minter. Strong as his track record is, it’s hardly surprising that he’ll take a notable one-year payday to return to the Mets and hope for better health in 2026. It’s not yet clear how much longer Minter’s rehab process will span, but he’ll be around nine months removed from his operation by the time pitchers and catchers report.

If Minter is healthy for the entirety or even the majority of the 2026 campaign, there’s still potential for the southpaw to be a good value for the Mets. He’s been excellent throughout his career, save for a fluky 7.06 ERA in 29 1/3 frames during the juiced-ball season back in 2019. In 254 innings since that season, he’s logged a 2.80 earned run average with 16 saves, 99 holds, a 30.1% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate.

Minter’s return comes on the same day that star closer Edwin Diaz has opted out of the remaining two years and $38MM on his contract. It’s of course possible that Diaz will eventually re-sign, but if he departs, Minter now stands as the most experienced high-leverage reliever in a bullpen that’ll surely be an area of focus for president of baseball operations David Stearns and the rest of the Mets front office this winter. With Diaz, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto and Ryne Stanek all reaching free agency and Reed Garrett undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the season, the Mets will be in the market for almost an entirely new relief corps this winter.