Free Agent Profile: Kyle Finnegan, RP

Kyle Finnegan

Position: RP B/T: R/R

Age: 33 (09/04/1991)

2024 Traditional Stats: 65 G, 63 2/3 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.335 WHIP, 3-8, 38 SV, 60 K, 24 BB

2024 Advanced Stats: 110 ERA+, 22.1% K%, 8.9% BB%, 4.31 xERA, 4.25 FIP, 3.81 xFIP, 0.0 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR

Rundown

Kyle Finnegan has spent much of the last four seasons as the Nationals’ closer, and he’s done a solid job each year. In 2024, he made his first All-Star Game, racking up a career-high 38 saves – good for second in the National League behind Ryan Helsley. It surprised many when the Nationals opted to non-tender Finnegan ahead of his final year of arbitration, in which he was projected to be owed $8.6 million.

There are some red flags about Finnegan. He had a sparkling 2.45 ERA in the first half of the season but got hit hard to the tune of a 5.79 ERA in the second half, with his opponents batting .337/.404/.490 against him. Mostly a two-pitch pitcher, Finnegan’s whiff rate dipped on both his four-seam fastball and his splitter. His four-seamer registered a disappointing negative-1 run value, down from the 6 it registered in 2023. He occasionally mixes in a slider, which generated a strong .098 xBA and 33.3% whiff rate. Opponents frequently made loud contact against Finnegan, with his 48.1% hard-hit rate ranking in the majors’ second percentile and his average exit velocity of 91.3 miles per hour ranking in the first percentile. Finnegan also saw his fly ball rate jump from 17.5% to a career-high 24.6% and his walk rate increase from 8.3% to 8.9%.

Finnegan was able to maintain his velocity though, averaging 97.2 MPH on his fastball, just .1 below his 2023 average. Additionally, his strikeout rate increased, his barrel rate decreased by 1.5%, and all of his expected stats improved by a healthy margin. Home runs have always been an issue for Finnegan, but 3.3% HR% was his lowest mark since 2021. Finnegan’s numbers are also inflated by his struggles in non-save situations – he had a 7.08 ERA in those situations compared to a 2.08 ERA in save situations. He also blew just five of his 43 save opportunities, compared to the eight he blew in 36 chances in 2023. Overall, it’s fair to say 2024 was a step forward for Finnegan.

Contract

As mentioned previously, Finnegan was projected to receive $8.6 million in arbitration in 2025. He isn’t listed on MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 50 Free Agents. Spotrac sees him receiving a two-year contract worth $24.9 million.

Recommendation

The Mets have seen plenty of Finnegan over the last few years, and he’s proven he can be an effective reliever. Giving him a multi-year contract is a tough sell, but if he’s willing to take a one-year deal, the Mets should consider him. The bullpen was the Mets’ biggest weakness in 2024 and they have yet to do much to improve it so far. They could use any arms they can get, and Finnegan could slot in as another high-leverage reliever.

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