New York Mets sign veteran reliever to multi-year minors deal

The Mets have added another high-octane relief pitcher to their arsenal.

Jul 4, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jose Marte (68) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The New York Mets' bullpen has been stellar to start the 2025 regular season.

Through April 2, the Mets' relief corps owns a collective 1.64 ERA, which is second-best in all of MLB. This comes after New York's bullpen came up clutch during the team's April 2 game against the Miami Marlins, where they only conceded one run in extra innings to help secure a 6-5 win for the Mets that brings their record back to 3-3.

If Brazoban and Kranick are anywhere near as good as they've looked so far, Mets' bullpen could have a ton of depth as well as dominance. Through six games their pen has a 1.64 ERA, second-lowest in MLB to Padres, over 22 ip.

— John Harper (@NYNJHarper) April 3, 2025

However, given the prevalence of injuries, a team can never have enough MLB-quality arms. And the Mets added another reliever to their arsenal on April 3.

Per an X post from FanSided's Robert Murray, "The Mets are signing pitcher Jose Marte to a two-year minor-league contract, source says. Marte, who posted a 2.33 ERA in 14 games with the Angels last season, is recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent last September."

The Mets are signing pitcher Jose Marte to a two-year minor-league contract, source says. Marte, who posted a 2.33 ERA in 14 games with the Angels last season, is recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent last September.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 3, 2025

Marte has produced a 5.56 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 43.2 innings over 39 games during his four MLB seasons, all of which were spent with the Angels. He's best known for his blazing four-seam fastball, which averaged 96.5 mph during his 2024 campaign.

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While it's currently unclear when Marte will be returning from injury and how much he signed for, the fact that New York secured him on a minor league deal is a win for the organization, given his track record of success in the big leagues.

It will be interesting to see how Marte is used if he makes it to the Mets' big league squad upon his return from injury.