Mets sign veteran right-hander to minor league deal

After spending the 2025 season in Japan, veteran right-hander Mike Baumann is joining the Mets on a minor league deal.

Sep 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Mike Baumann (55) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have added some experienced bullpen depth.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that veteran right-hander Mike Baumann signed with the Mets. It is a minor league deal, though the terms have not yet been disclosed.

Mike Baumann, veteran righty, signs with Mets

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 24, 2025

Baumann, 30, spent the 2025 season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he went 0-3 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts over 26 innings for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He appeared in parts of four MLB seasons before this past year, posting a 4.95 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9 rate in 134 career appearances.

In 2023, Baumann made a career-high 60 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, going 10-1 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 64.2 innings. The former third-round draft pick spent his entire career with the club until 2024, when he tied MLB’s single-season record by playing for five different franchises. That year, he combined for a 5.55 ERA in 57 appearances and was designated for assignment four times.

Mike Baumann's 3Ks pic.twitter.com/6XBZFPPp2h

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 11, 2024

According to Statcast, Baumann ranked in the 87th percentile in average fastball velocity (96.5 mph) in 2024. The 6-foot-4 right-hander also threw a knuckle curve, slider, changeup, and sinker during his last stint in the majors.

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Injuries and ineffectiveness led the Mets to use an MLB-record 46 pitchers in 2025, a total that included three position players. They frequently cycled through relief call-ups to help cover innings, as their starters often struggled to provide length and taxed the bullpen.

New York’s bullpen will look much different in 2026 following the departures of Edwin Díaz, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, and Gregory Soto. The Mets added right-handers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to the back end and still have lefties Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, but the remaining relief spots are still up for grabs.

One idea the Mets have reportedly considered is using some of their younger starters in multi-inning relief roles. New York currently has an abundance of rotation depth, making this, in the short term, the clearest path for someone like Brandon Sproat to help the big league club.

Additional relief depth includes Joey Gerber, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in November, prospect Dylan Ross, and veterans Richard Lovelady and Huascar Brazobán. Baumann will likely have an opportunity to compete with those arms for a roster spot in spring training.

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