By Adeniyi Precious 
The New York Mets were looking to beef up their bullpen after some big moves in the offseason. They passed on signing top reliever Tanner Scott, choosing instead to bring in A.J. Minter from the Atlanta Braves for two years at $22 million. While Minter’s been solid for years, there are some red flags to watch out for.
Minter’s strikeout rate and fastball velocity have been dropping lately, and even though he posted a good ERA last season (2.62), his underlying numbers (like his FIP and home run rate) aren’t as promising. Injuries also kept him out for part of 2024, raising questions about his consistency.
While Minter could still prove to be a solid addition, there’s the chance the Mets might end up wishing they’d forked out a bit more for Scott, who’s younger and coming off a great season. Still, for the money and term, Minter’s deal seems fair, and time will tell if the Mets made the right call.