Grading Mets Re-Signing Robert Stock: New York Brings Back Veteran to Reinforce Pitching Depth

What grade should the Mets get after signing Robert Stock to a one-year major-league deal?

What grade should the New York Mets get after signing Robert Stock to a one-year, major-league deal? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Mets have made their first significant move of the offseason on Friday afternoon.

New York re-signed right-hander Robert Stock to a one-year major-league deal after the veteran made a handful of appearances with the club during the second half of last year.

This move perhaps signals that the Mets are looking to add a veteran presence to their pitching staff to go along with their three young starting pitchers: Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton.

While the Mets, without question, need to beef up their pitching staff after another disappointing season, what grade should we give the Amazins for this deal?

Why did the Mets re-sign Robert Stock?

New York Mets pitcher Robert Stock will have a chance to win a spot on next season's Opening Day roster. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Mets giving Stock a major league deal says a lot. The 36-year-old appeared in only eight games (seven starts) last season, logging just a 5.93 ERA over 30.1 innings. Those stats alone are one reason why this signing deserves only a C+.

Stock also missed the first five months of the year after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. Despite returning to the major leagues in 2026, his health is a major question heading into the 2027 season. However, if you want to look at this signing on the bright side, Stock showed promising signs that he can still be effective at the big-league level.

In his seven starts, Stock allowed one or zero earned runs and went four innings or more four times. His best start of the campaign came on August 31, when he pitched a season-high 5.1 innings against the eventual AL champion Tampa Bay Rays, allowing no earned runs on five hits and striking out four.

It's also worth mentioning that Stock didn't flustered on the mound when faced with RISP (runners in scoring position) and 2 outs as he held opponents to a .133 average and .435 OPS. That's key for a guy, who likely will be coming out of the bullpen. Additionally, he didn't give up a lot of hard contact either, posting a 36.4 hard-hit rate.

So, despite not going deep in his starts last season, Stock can still be used as a long reliever in what is, for now, a very suspect Mets bullpen.

It may not be the flashy move Mets fans wanted to see out of the gate, but it could be a low-risk, high-reward move, given Stock's veteran experience and New York's need to add as much pitching depth as possible.

Grade: C+

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