New York Mets re-sign veteran left-handed reliever

The New York Mets are bringing back this left-handed pitcher on a one-year major league deal.

Jul 2, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Richard Lovelady (57) pitches in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have made a move to shore up the bullpen for 2026 by bringing back reliever Richard Lovelady.

Lovelady, 30, signed a one-year major league contract to return to the Mets after a 2025 campaign where he posted a 6.30 ERA in eight appearances. The left-hander began the season with the Toronto Blue Jays, but allowed four runs in just 1.2 innings and was designated for assignment in late March.

Mets are signing LHP Richard Lovelady to a one-year ML deal

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) October 23, 2025

Lovelady made appearances for the minor league affiliates of the Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins before landing with the Mets on June 23rd. He made six relief appearances from June 24th-July 10th but did not figure into the mix throughout August. Lovelady's final two outings came in late September when New York was fighting for a Wild Card berth.

Lovelady was one of 46 pitchers the Mets used in 2025, a new MLB record. The unit's inconsistency combined with the club's inability to add effective relievers at the deadline caused them to rely on players like Lovelady, who spent most of the year in big league/minor league limbo.

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The Mets outrighted Lovelady to Syracuse before the final game of the regular season and he elected free agency two days later. But on Thursday, the two sides reached an agreement to keep the lefty hurler in New York for the start of 2026.

Lovelady spent the early part of his career in Kansas City, where he made 46 appearances from 2019-2021. He pitched in 25 games in his rookie season, posting a 7.65 ERA across 20 innings. After just one major league appearance in 2020, Lovelady showed considerable improvement in 2021, going 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 games (20.2 innings).

In 2022, Lovelady was selected to the Royals 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 draft but made no appearances for the big-league club. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves in March of 2023 for cash but stayed down in the minors for a brief four-game stint. Lovelady finally returned to the major leagues after he was picked up by the Oakland Athletics in April of 2023, where he went on to pitch in 27 games, tallying four holds with a 4.63 ERA.

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Lovelady began 2024 with the Chicago Cubs, where he struggled through seven appearances before returning to his 2021 form with the Tampa Bay Rays, holding a 3.77 ERA in 28 games (28.2 innings). Now approaching a decade since he was selected in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Lovelady has yet to assert himself as a consistent option for a major league bullpen. But as a left-handed option with years of experience, he will presumably be a realistic option to make the Mets' Opening Day roster next March.

Lovelady's return is the first of many moves aimed at addressing the Mets' bullpen, which wore thin towards the end of the season and desperately needs a new look.