The Mets accomplished much of their offseason heavy lifting last week, finalizing a contract with Bo Bichette and swinging trades for Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert during a furious 48-hour frenzy.
Those deals satisfied the Mets’ biggest needs, with the ace Peralta now topping their rotation, Bichette ready to settle into the heart of the lineup and at third base, and Robert set to provide elite center-field defense with upside as a hitter.
“We feel good about where our team is,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said last week. “We think we’ve got a very good team. Certainly, happy with the additions we’ve been able to make over the last couple of days and weeks. And also, frankly, really happy with the existing group we have coming back.”
But that didn’t mean the Mets were done.
In the days since, the Mets have remained busy with a string of lower-profile moves to fill out their roster and bolster their organizational depth.
They agreed to terms with veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel — a former top-tier closer — on a minor-league contract, which carries a base salary of $2.5 million if he makes the team, according to The Athletic.
The Mets signed right-handed reliever Luis García to a one-year contract after the 38-year-old delivered a solid 2025 season with three different teams.
And they acquired well-traveled utility man Vidal Bruján in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
To make room on their 40-man roster, the Mets designated left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady for assignment and traded right-handed reliever Cooper Criswell to the Seattle Mariners.
The Mets also designated infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment, days after they added him on waivers.
Among the new additions, Kimbrel boasts the most upside. Kimbrel, 37, is a nine-time All-Star who led the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons from 2011-14 with the Atlanta Braves.
Kimbrel is no longer that pitcher. His last All-Star selection came in 2023, and he’s been designated for assignment in each of the past two seasons.
Still, Kimbrel pitched to a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 12 major-league innings with the Braves and Houston Astros last year. He had a 3.69 ERA over 38 minor-league innings.
That represented at least something of a bounce back for Kimbrel, who posted a 5.33 ERA over 52.1 innings with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.
That said, the Mets’ bullpen could be a difficult one to crack.
The Mets signed Devin Williams to be their closer (ultimately replacing Edwin Diaz) and Luke Weaver to set him up.
A.J. Minter may not be ready for Opening Day as he recovers from last year’s lat surgery, but García, Brooks Raley and Tobias Myers — who also came over from Milwaukee in the Peralta trade — are all expected to command bullpen spots.
There’s also right-hander Huascar Brazobán, who had a 3.57 ERA over 63 major-league innings last year but spent time at Triple-A Syracuse, too.
Another factor is the Mets’ surplus of starting pitchers. Whether they deploy a six-man rotation or move someone to the bullpen, that’s another roster spot that won’t be up for grabs.
Of course, injuries can create opportunities.
García, who turns 39 on Friday, is older than Kimbrel. But he is coming off a 2025 season in which he pitched to a 3.42 ERA in 55.1 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels.
García’s average fastball velocity of 96.9 mph ranked in the 87th percentile in the majors in 2025, while his 49.7% ground-ball rate was also well above average.
Over 13 MLB seasons with eight teams, García owns a 4.07 ERA.
Bruján, meanwhile, appeared in 60 games last season with the Chicago Cubs, Orioles and Braves, batting .253 without a home run in 87 at-bats.
A former top prospect with the Tampa Bay Rays, the switch-hitting Bruján is only a .199 hitter over five MLB seasons, but he has appeared at every position other than catcher.
He has played second base most frequently.
Bruján, 27, is hardly a lock to make the Mets’ roster, as Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco are set to be everyday players while fellow infielders Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio remain in the mix.
But the acquisition of Bruján restored a bit of depth after the Mets traded two infielders — Luisangel Acuña and top prospect Jett Williams — to Milwaukee for Peralta and Myers.
