Major League Baseball’s non-tender deadline officially ended at 8 p.m. Eastern November 22, sending notable players to free agency prior to the 2025 season.
From a pitching standpoint, many bullpen arms were let go, some with success in 2024 and others with success in recent seasons.
Below are the non-tendered bullpen arms highlighted that could help the Mets in 2025. Click here to read the entire list of players non-tendered Friday.
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Jordan Romano‘s 2024 was forgettable. The righty struggled to a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings and then was shut down for the remainder of the season after receiving surgery to repair an impingement in his throwing elbow.
Still, the 31-year-old is only one season removed from back-to-back All-Star appearances and could be worth a flier. From 2020-2024, Romano struck out 251 batters in 200 2/3 innings, pitching to a 2.24 ERA. He was estimated to make $7.75 million by MLBTrade Rumors.
Kyle Finnegan‘s non-tender was shocking. The Nationals held onto the closer at the deadline in a year where the price to buy was high, then after a poor second half released the righty.
But was the second half poor enough to justify a non-tender? Yes, it really was. In 23 1/3 innings, Finnegan pitched to a 5.79 ERA, walked 11 batters, allowed three homers, and 33 hits. This came after a first half where he pitched to a 2.45 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 40 1/3 innings.
Now, Finnegan hits the open market and is available to all teams. His 1.886 second half WHIP is glaring, but would be an absolute bargain if he lands somewhere in the middle of his All-Star performance and second-half blunders, where his career 3.56 ERA and 1.319 WHIP tend to be.
Another year, another arm non-tendered by the Rays. Colin Poche has become the latest victim of this cycle.
The lefty was solid in 2024, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. His name was rumored in trade discussions in 2024, especially among Mets fans, but he was ultimately held onto and then released.
Poche will be an interesting name of the market. He’s past age 30, but has now had consecutive successful seasons as a lefty and comes from the valuable pitching lab of Tampa. The predictive statistics weren’t good (4.88 FIP and 91 mile-per-hour average exit velocity), but the Mets are short on left-hand relievers and Poche would be a cheaper option.
There was a time where Tanner Rainey looked like a star in the making. He threw triple digits, won a World Series in 2019, and had amassed 148 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings.
But Tommy John hit Rainey in 2022, and it’s been lost years since. The righty missed all of 2023, and then in 51 innings in 2024, Rainey pitched to a 4.76 ERA and 1.490 WHIP.
So, an easy no. Right? Well, not so fast. Rainey had an impressive August and September, pitching to month ERAs of 2.25 and 2.00, while keeping the WHIP at 1.000 in both.
The slider was also impressive, earning a 46.3 Whiff percentage and 2295 RPM. Rainey will be an interesting flier, and could be a smart pick-up by organizations. It might not be 100 miles per hour anymore, but Rainey still has stuff that plays.
JT Chargois was another premium name that was non-tendered Friday. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the Mariners DFA’d the bullpen arm on Nov. 19 before the deadline.
The move cleared some money from their payroll for the next season, and with an abundance of arms on the roster, the team could afford to lose Chargois. But for all the others, another reliable arm hit the market.
Chargois pitched to a combined 2.23 ERA between the Marlins and Mariners but had concerning FIPs of 5.53 and 4.54. The 46.2 and 36.7 hard-hit percentages weren’t good either, but still wasn’t enough to hurt the LA native in season.
Regardless of predictive stats, Chargois will still be a sought-after name. The slider remains glitchy with its 2600 RPM and 33.3% whiff rate, and the 40% groundball rate will play with a solid defense behind him.
Jacob Webb was another odd non-tender. He was only projected to receive a contract worth $1.7 million and was a key bullpen arm for the Orioles.
In 2024, the righty pitched to a 3.02 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. Webb also put up a respectable 1.182 WHIP and 3.52 FIP.
Webb is certainly a name the Mets should inquire about this offseason. His arsenal features a 94-mile-per-hour fastball that rides up in the zone, with a changeup and sweeper to get batters out. His changeup particularly was special, with batters hitting only .125 and slugging .219 on the pitch.
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