Mets' internal bullpen options entering the offseason

While Diaz is the headliner, there is a scenario where the only reliever the Mets have under contract entering the offseason is Adbert Alzolay; he signed a two-year minor league deal with New York in January and spent the season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Alzolay has closing experience with the Cubs, recording 22 saves in 2023, and it is likely the Mets view him as a potential setup option for the 2026 squad.

Where does the rest of the Mets' relief corps stand entering the winter? Let's break down the status of the Mets' most prominent relievers entering the offseason, beginning with the players on options for the 2026 season.

Breaking down the Mets' internal relief options entering the offseason

Diaz and A.J. Minter are the two Mets relievers with player options for 2026; the latter can opt out of the $11 million salary he is scheduled to make next season and test the market if he wants. But Minter likely won't come close to that salary figure coming off a season-ending lat tear in May, so expect him to stay put and give the Mets a high-leverage lefty out of the bullpen to start with.

Diaz hasn't officially decided if he will opt out yet but he has only two years and roughly $40 million left on his contract, totals he could beat on the open market as the top reliever on the board. The last time Diaz was a free agent, he agreed to a new deal with the Mets prior to the end of the team's exclusive negotiation window; it is certainly possible he opts out with the intention of re-signing with the Mets to tack a few more guaranteed years onto his deal.

The Mets also hold club options on Brooks Raley and Drew Smith that they will likely pick up. Raley, after finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery in the first half of the year, demonstrated his value as a setup option down the stretch and would give the Mets a second lefty to pair with Minter in the bullpen. Meanwhile, the Mets last winter signed Smith to rehab from his own Tommy John surgery this year, making it a near formality they will pick up their 2026 option to use him in middle relief.

Four key relievers from this year's bullpen are set to be free agents, with Ryan Helsley, Ryne Stanek, Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers set to hit the market. The first three appear to be long shots to stay, with Helsley likely looking for a new opportunity to close games, and it is unclear if Rogers is open to staying in New York. While Rogers is the rare consistent reliever who could convince Stearns to guarantee more than one year to a non-closer, he may prefer a smaller market after spending the past seven years with San Francisco (which is still a big market, but not to the degree of New York).

The Mets do have several relievers that are arbitration eligible, including Huascar Brazoban and Max Kranick, although the latter is set to miss a good portion of next season after undergoing elbow surgery in July. Since both players have minor league options left, the Mets could look to retain them as depth options, with Brazoban having a shot to crack the Opening Day roster in spring training.

There are also a slew of relievers who are not eligible for arbitration yet, including September call-up Dylan Ross and a bunch of the team's fill-ins, like Austin Warren and Brandon Waddell. The fill-ins could be vulnerable to being designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster, but a few of them will likely be given an opportunity to compete for a bullpen spot in camp.

Another option the Mets could consider is using some of their starting pitching depth to find a new long man. Sean Manaea could be an option for this role given his previous relief experience, or the Mets could consider using Christian Scott as a multi-inning reliever to monitor his usage coming back from Tommy John surgery.

If the Mets pick up the options on Smith and Raley while re-signing Diaz, the start of their unit could look something like this:

The unit could still use a right-handed setup man to get to Diaz but this isn't a bad start for Stearns, who could audition different people for the middle relief role Brazoban is holding and the long relief job. Keeping Diaz is the key to this whole equation, however, so expect that to be Stearns' top bullpen priority entering the winter.