Left-hander A.J. Minter and Mets finalize 2-year contract

By Canadian Press on January 23, 2025.

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander A.J. Minter and the New York Mets finalized a two-year contract on Thursday.

Minter can opt out after the 2025 World Series and become a free agent again.

The 31-year-old, coming off left hip surgery, has spent his entire eight-year major league career with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves, going 24-29 with a 3.28 ERA and 36 saves in 384 appearances — all in relief.

He was 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA and one save in 39 games last year, striking out 35 and walking 11 in 34 1/3 innings before season-ending surgery in August.

Dr. Thomas Byrd in Nashville, Tennessee, discovered a torn labrum, a hip impingement and a lesion on Minter’s femur, and the procedure required performing a microfracture on the hip, MLB.com reported.

Minter had been sidelined from May 30 to June 30 with left hip inflammation. He also missed two weeks in July 2023 due to left shoulder inflammation.

When healthy, Minter has been a reliable and effective reliever with nasty stuff, racking up 422 career strikeouts in 348 2/3 innings. He had a career-high 15 saves in 2018, and 10 in 2023.

Minter was a key member of a terrific bullpen that helped Atlanta win the 2021 World Series, and is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 20 postseason outings covering 25 innings.

After filling holes in their starting rotation with free agent deals for Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning and former All-Star closer Clay Holmes earlier this offseason, the Mets still have work to do in the bullpen.

Minter gives manager Carlos Mendoza a proven late-inning lefty to help set up star closer Edwin Díaz, something New York lacked last year while making a surprise run to the National League Championship Series.

Last week, the Mets brought back outfielder and designated hitter Jesse Winker on a one-year contract. The deals with Minter and Winker could signal the club doesn’t expect to re-sign All-Star slugger and fan favorite Pete Alonso, with owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns now allotting resources elsewhere.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

The Associated Press