Former Mets, Rays Reliever Brooks Raley Drawing Interest From Yankees, Cubs

Brooks Raley underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2024, so the free agent relief pitcher is hoping to return to the mound with a new team as soon as July 2025.

Sep 22, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Brooks Raley (30) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Left-handed relief pitcher Brooks Raley is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, but there is reportedly a market coming together for the free agent southpaw.

According to the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are among the teams that have checked in on Raley. He has discussed potential multi-year contracts with several clubs, per Rosenthal and Sammon.

Raley went under the knife in May 2024, and he is aiming to progress through his rehab and be pitching in MLB again by July. That may be a bold recovery timeline for the 36-year-old, but it isn't out of the question.

A two-year deal certainly isn't either, since that's what banged-up similarly relievers Luke Jackson and Liam Hendriks signed in the 2023 and 2024 offseasons, respectively.

The Cubs drafted Raley back in 2009, and he made his big league debut for the club in 2012. He was ultimately cut loose prior to the 2014 campaign, spending that year in the minors with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.

Raley left affiliated baseball shortly after, pitching in the Korean Baseball Organization from 2015 to 2019.

The Cincinnati Reds took a flier on Raley in 2020, only to trade him to the Houston Astros at that summer's deadline. In November 2021, the Tampa Bay Rays signed Raley to a two-year, $10 million contract with a $6.25 million club option, and he proceeded to string together a career year by going 1-2 with a 2.68 ERA, 0.969 WHIP, 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, six saves and a 1.0 WAR.

Raley got dealt to the New York Mets the following winter, and he stayed hot with a 1-2 record, 2.80 ERA, 1.262 WHIP, 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings, three saves and a 1.3 WAR. He opened 2024 with eight scoreless outings before getting shut down for the year, then hitting free agency.

Over the past three seasons, Raley boasts a 2.58 ERA, 1.092 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

That production would be welcome in both Chicago and the Bronx, even if he wouldn't be able to pitch in the first half of 2025. Both teams are aiming to contend this year, so perhaps Raley could serve as a veteran reinforcement out of the bullpen down the home stretch.

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