How the Mets Can Rebuild Their Bullpen After Trade Deadline Deconstruction

The New York Mets were very busy at the trade deadline and a big part of their work involved flipping relievers for assets to them in the future. Four of the team's top five relievers got moved, with David Stearns opting to turn A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban into seven minor league prospects.

The group constituted most of the Mets' high-leverage relief options, with only closer Devin Williams left standing after the trade deadline. Considering the Mets' plans to try and contend in 2027, Stearns will have a lot of work to do to build a new bullpen for next season.

The good news is that one of Stearns' best skillsets is identifying relievers, a strength of his dating back to his time running baseball operations for the Milwaukee Brewers. Let's take a look at the options the Mets have to construct their 2027 bullpen.

Internal options for the 2027 bullpen

The one option that is locked in is Williams, who's under contract through the 2028 season. While your mileage on Williams' ability as a closer in New York may vary, the Mets believed in him enough to give Williams a three-year contract, so we can start with him as the closer and work backwards.

The remainder of the 2026 season will see the Mets auditioning a variety of relievers for roles in the 2027 bullpen. The most intriguing name in the bunch is Dedniel Núñez, who was activated off the injured list on Tuesday after missing time in each of the past two seasons due to elbow problems.

Núñez ended up undergoing Tommy John Surgery during the 2025 season but used the internal brace technique to aid in his recovery. The Mets saw Núñez look like their best reliever for stretches of 2024 and if he can recapture that form it would be a big win for the Mets.

Another name most Mets' fans may have forgotten about is Reed Garrett, who is out for this season after undergoing the traditional version of Tommy John surgery. Garrett is likely to return during the 2027 season and could add a proven setup option if he recaptures his old form.

One intriguing idea the Mets will experiment with down the stretch is seeing if Kodai Senga can function as a high-leverage reliever. The Mets had Senga work the ninth inning in Tuesday's win over the Cleveland Guardians and the idea is to simplify his pitch mix to primarily a fastball and forkball combo, which would allow him to max out his velocity in shorter bursts.

The stuff that Senga has does make the idea of him as a reliever quite intriguing, but his propensity to walk people is problematic for a reliever. There is nothing to lose in trying this idea, however, since Senga's run as a starter appears to be over after a disastrous year of attempts following a hamstring injury that short-circuited his 2025 campaign in June.

The Mets also have a slew of relievers on the right side they can try out down the stretch. Austin Warren, who was effective earlier in the season as a waiver-wire find, is working his way back from injury while they have plenty of optionable relievers like Daniel Duarte, newly acquired Chayce McDermott, Jonathan Pintaro and Xzavion Curry.

There are also a few relievers at AAA Syracuse who could get looks at some point, including Dylan Ross and spring training sensation Ryan Lambert. Walks have been an issue for both in the minors, which the Mets will want to see them fix, while they could also look at Zach Franklin, who was one of their less-heralded minor leaguers they got back in the Brazoban deal.

The left side is a land of opportunity for the Mets bullpen and the first two to get a crack there are Jefry Yan, who is in the majors for the first time after a 12-year odyssey through the minors, and Nate Lavender.

Both lefties throw hard and have the ability to rack up strikeouts, so the Mets will clearly hope that one of them can seize a job in the 2027 bullpen. It remains to be seen what happens with Cionel Pérez, who had shown flashes of competence before landing on the injured list.

Free agent options

One of the most viable markets to shop in every year is the relief pitching market, which may explain why Stearns was so willing to part with so many relievers at the deadline. If we operate under the assumption that the Mets want to pencil in Williams, Núñez, Garrett and either Yan or Lavender into their 2027 bullpen, they will be short at least two high-leverage options.

The setup market is not as strong as it usually is but there are some intriguing options, including Pete Fairbanks, Blake Treinen, Andrew Kittredge, Bryan Abreu and Jason Adam. The Mets would likely look to add one reliever from the right side for that role and a proven lefty to pair with whichever of Yan or Lavender is more promising.

The left side could see the Mets look to reunite with either Raley or Minter, both of whom are free agents at the end of the season. There are also other interesting lefty options like Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, former Met Gregory Soto and A.J. Puk.

If the Mets add Fairbanks and Raley, for example, their bullpen in 2027 could look like this:

Role	Pitcher
Closer	Devin Williams
Set Up	Pete Fairbanks, Brooks Raley
Middle Relief	Dedniel Nunez, Reed Garrett, Nate Lavender, Kodai Senga
Long Relief	TBA

The Mets could also look to carry a long reliever in the mold of the function Trevor Williams served in 2022. One candidate to watch there could be Tylor Megill, who is coming off of Tommy John surgery and whose stuff could play up in shorter stints as well.

This bullpen may not appear as proven as the one the Mets had, but it would contain more flexibility to option players in and out of the unit if they struggle. Given the volatility of relievers on a seemingly annual basis, more optionality isn't a bad thing.

There is also almost always an opportunity to trade for relievers in season, which is something the Mets tried to do unsuccessfully in 2025. Either way, the Mets' bullpen will need a lot of work to be functional in 2027, with the final two months likely doing a lot to inform Stearns' decision-making process during the offseason.

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