The New York Mets have bolstered their bullpen by acquiring right-hander Joey Gerber from the Tampa Bay Rays in a cash swap. The 28-year-old, who had been with the Rays' Triple-A affiliate for most of 2025, brings some much-needed depth to the Mets' relief corps.
Gerber's MLB career has been marked by inconsistency, as he posted a 6.23 ERA in 43 1/3 innings at the minors level this year, but has also shown flashes of promise, including a 3.60 ERA across 20 innings with the Rays and Mariners earlier this season.
Despite the lack of control in his minor league stint, Gerber's fastball is reportedly clocked in the mid-90s, making him an intriguing prospect to add some velocity to the Mets' bullpen. With the team exercising Brooks Raley's $4.75 million option for 2026 and declining Drew Smith's club option, there may be opportunities for Gerber to carve out a role with the team.
In other news, the Mets have also secured their top lefty reliever Brooks Raley for next season, while relievers A.J. Minter and Frankie Montas are set to return in 2026 under their player options. The team has also signed lefty Brandon Waddell to a one-year contract for $2 million, with the caveat that he will no longer be eligible for minor league assignments.
The Mets' bullpen may not have been as solid as some of its competitors this season, but adding Gerber could help shore up their relief corps and provide some much-needed depth.
Gerber's MLB career has been marked by inconsistency, as he posted a 6.23 ERA in 43 1/3 innings at the minors level this year, but has also shown flashes of promise, including a 3.60 ERA across 20 innings with the Rays and Mariners earlier this season.
Despite the lack of control in his minor league stint, Gerber's fastball is reportedly clocked in the mid-90s, making him an intriguing prospect to add some velocity to the Mets' bullpen. With the team exercising Brooks Raley's $4.75 million option for 2026 and declining Drew Smith's club option, there may be opportunities for Gerber to carve out a role with the team.
In other news, the Mets have also secured their top lefty reliever Brooks Raley for next season, while relievers A.J. Minter and Frankie Montas are set to return in 2026 under their player options. The team has also signed lefty Brandon Waddell to a one-year contract for $2 million, with the caveat that he will no longer be eligible for minor league assignments.
The Mets' bullpen may not have been as solid as some of its competitors this season, but adding Gerber could help shore up their relief corps and provide some much-needed depth.
I think it's a great move! They need someone with that velocity to spice up their bullpen. 6.23 ERA in minors is rough but if he can bring that fastball to the big leagues, watch out! 
The fact that they're exercising Raley's option and declining Smith's makes me think Gerber's got a legit shot at making the team 
And signing Waddell for $2 million? Nice move by the Mets, they need all the depth they can get 
. Like, have you seen the latest climate report? Rising temperatures are gonna make it harder for plants to grow, which is already stressing our food supply... 
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, we gotta worry about baseball players' ERAs too 
. Anyway, I guess Joey Gerber's addition might help the Mets bullpen... but let's be real, it's not like they're gonna make a dent in the bigger picture 
The Mets have been trying to patch up their bullpen for ages so it’ll be interesting to see if Gerber can bring some much-needed stability 
. And I'm not even mad about Raley staying on, it's nice to have some continuity in the bullpen. Not to mention Waddell signing for a decent price, that's always good to hear 
he's been all over the place this season but at least he's got that 90+ mph fastball 
. but hey, at least gerber's got some potential... fingers crossed he can become a key guy for the bullpen 
. I mean, his ERA was pretty bad in the minors, but he's also shown some promise. And let's be real, who doesn't love a fast ball in the mid-90s? 
The problem with the Mets' bullpen this year has been the lack of consistency, so if Gerber can bring that depth and some stability to the team, then I think it's a win-win 
. I mean, Joey Gerber's got potential, but 6.23 ERA in the minors? That's like a participation trophy for pitchers 
. Still, at least his fastball is clocked in the mid-90s, so maybe he can bring some much-needed velocity to the team 
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. And hey, A.J. Minter and Frankie Montas are coming back, so fingers crossed they can stay healthy and not totally embarrass the team again 
. Still, I'll eat my words if they surprise everyone and become a contender next season 
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it's about time they brought in someone with a bit more consistency, because gerber's numbers aren't exactly inspiring - 6.23 era is pretty rough. but at the same time, his fastball is clocked in the mid-90s which is definitely something to get excited about 
️ and with raley locked down for next season, maybe this can be the spark they need.
just heard about Joey Gerber being picked up by the Mets... poor guy had a rough season in minors 
6.23 ERA is crazy! but I love that they're giving him a chance to prove himself 
! Joey Gerber's addition is a great catch, especially with his fastball reaching the mid-90s - that's some serious velocity 
. and whats up with him being clocked in the mid-90s though? that fast isnt always gonna be reliable 
It's interesting to see how teams work, but sometimes I feel like these trades are based on a lot of guesswork...