Bo Bichette’s Slow Start
Mets infielder Bo Bichette had zero extra-base hits in May entering this week. He popped a home run and a double on Monday against the Nationals, then followed it up with a two-homer game on Tuesday. Bichette came into the series against Washington with just two long balls this season. He’s more than doubled that mark in two games, while also pushing his OPS above .600 for the first time since May 1.
The move to Queens hasn’t gone as planned for Bichette after the Mets inked him to a hefty three-year, $126MM deal. The veteran had the ninth-lowest wRC+ among qualified hitters before Monday’s big night. He’s slashed .224/.277/.332 through 48 games. Those numbers looked eerily similar to Bichette’s 2024 campaign (.225/.277/.322), a year ruined by multiple injuries. The 28-year-old got back on track in 2025, a well-timed rebound ahead of his first crack at free agency. He’s slipped back into concerning habits this year.
Bichette’s approach has never been geared toward power. He makes hard contact, but sprays the ball to all fields and prioritizes line drives over fly balls. Even when Bichette was regularly reaching 20 home runs, he was doing it with a ground ball rate near 50% and a pulled air rate in the low teens. It’s an elite batting average profile, and league-leading hit collection is the main reason Bichette has been worth at least 3.5 wins (per Baseball Reference) in four of the previous five seasons.
The batted ball distribution this season is concerning, even for Bichette. His groundball rate is up to a career-high 51.2%. He’s pulling the ball in the air just 6.9% of the time, nearly half of his career norm (12%). Bichette is hitting line drives on just 23.1% of batted balls, which is below league average. Even in his difficult 2024 season, he hit line drives at a more than 30% clip.
Bichette has also taken a step back in terms of contact quality. He’s posted a 43.8% hard-hit rate, a 5% decline from 2025. He’s barreling the ball at a 5.6% rate, more than 3% below his career average. The only year Bichette has had a barrel rate below league average was 2024, when he stumbled to a 4.5% mark. Bichette still ranks in the 64th percentile for hard-hit rate. He’s in the 80th percentile for xBA at .280. For his profile to work, though, he’ll likely need to be closer to the league leaders in those categories. Bichette was in the 98th percentile with a .298 xBA in 2025. He finished second in the AL batting title race, behind only Aaron Judge.
The expectations of a significant contract, plus joining a new team, can weigh on a player. There’s also the New York factor. But if Bichette is pressing, the plate discipline doesn’t show it. He’s striking out just 16.3% of the time. His chase rate (38.1%) is up a bit from last season, but it’s more or less in line with his career mark of 36.8%. Bichette’s 7.3% swinging-strike rate is a career low. He’s making contact on pitches outside of the zone more than ever, which could explain some of the decline in contact quality. He might be better off swinging and missing a bit more often.
The most surprising aspect of Bichette’s stat line is the defense. The Mets signed him to play third base after he graded out as one of the worst shortstops in the league during his final year in Toronto. Injuries to Francisco Lindor and Ronny Mauricio forced Bichette back to shortstop, and he’s played fine there. He’s been neutral in terms of both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average at the position. Bichette’s recorded -1 DRS and +1 OAA at third base. Unremarkable numbers with the glove are a huge improvement for Bichette, and likely part of the reason he’s performed at replacement level (-0.1 bRef WAR) despite the poor offensive contributions.
Like most hitters, Bichette has had tough months at the plate, even during strong seasons. He had a .687 OPS in June last year. His groundball rate jumped over 52% during that stretch. Bichette then turned around and hit .357 with 12 doubles and 18 RBI in July. There’s plenty of time for him to get back on track at the plate. And getting passable defense at multiple spots is a big win for the Mets, even if it’s not worth $42MM a year.
Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images
Mets Select Zach Thornton
May 20th: Thornton has now been officially selected, per a team announcement. Right-hander Daniel Duarte was optioned as the corresponding active roster move. They opened a 40-man spot yesterday when they designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment and recalled Nick Morabito.
May 18th: The Mets are going to promote pitching prospect Zach Thornton this week. Manager Carlos Mendoza informed reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that Thornton will play some kind of role for the Mets on Wednesday. That could be as a starter or working as a bulk guy behind an opener. Thornton is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Mets will have to make room for him somehow.
Thornton, now 24, was a fifth-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He put himself on the prospect map with a strong 2025 season. He only made 14 starts before an oblique injury ended his season, but the numbers were good. Between High-A and Double-A, he tossed 72 2/3 innings, allowing 1.98 earned runs per nine. He struck out 28.5% of batters faced and only walked 4% of opponents. He also induced grounders on 43.2% of balls in play.
Coming into 2026, Baseball America ranked him the #13 prospect in the system and FanGraphs had him 12th. He doesn’t have huge velocity, averaging just 91 miles per hour with his fastball these days, but both BA and FG highlight his excellent command. FG also highlights his vertical slot and his ability to hide the ball as part of his delivery. His full arsenal includes a four-seamer, sinker, slider, cutter, curveball and changeup.
He has continued to post good numbers this year, with five Double-A starts and two at Triple-A. Combined, he has thrown 37 innings with a 3.16 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 44.4% ground ball rate. BA bumped him up to #10 in the system in today’s update.
The Mets are dipping into their depth due to the recent injury to Clay Holmes, who fractured his right fibula and might be sidelined into August. Christian Scott is starting tonight and Nolan McLean tomorrow. Wednesday would have been Holmes’s turn. The Mets have some long relief options on the roster, although Sean Manaea just tossed four innings behind Freddy Peralta yesterday. Tobias Myers has starting experience but hasn’t tossed more than three innings in any game this year.
Thornton will at least get a spot start. What remains to be seen is if he’ll get sent back to the minors after that or if he’ll stick around. For the next turn, they could put Manaea or Myers into the Holmes spot. They could also turn to someone else on the farm, such as Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger or Jonathan Pintaro.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners calling up Colt Emerson (3:40)
- The Blue Jays losing José Berríos to surgery and trading Eric Lauer (10:50)
- The Dodgers losing Blake Snell to surgery (17:05)
- The Mets losing Francisco Alvarez to surgery and Clay Holmes to a fibula fracture (21:00)
- The Astros losing Jose Altuve to an oblique strain (31:35)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Which teams have been the biggest positive surprises so far this season? (43:00)
- With the Dodgers having a lot of outfield prospects and trending towards a surplus, do they put together a trade or hold and develop them? (54:10)
Check out our past episodes!
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
- The Alex Cora Situation, Lucas Giolito Signs, And The Phillies Fire Rob Thomson – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
2026-27 Club Options: NL East
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL East, where a former MVP and Cy Young winner are the most notable names.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West
Atlanta Braves
- Ronald Acuña Jr., RF: $17MM club option ($10MM buyout)
This is as easy as they get. The Braves will exercise their $17MM option for 2027 and have a matching provision for the ’28 season. The first comes with a $10MM buyout, while the second has no buyout. It’s highly likely the Braves are going to pick them both up anyway, but it could be a moderately closer call for Atlanta after 2027 if Acuña has a bad or injury-riddled year.
The Braves have remarkably raced to the second-best start in MLB despite relatively underwhelming work from the five-time All-Star. Acuña has only connected on two home runs with a .252/.367/.382 slash line through his first 35 games. He missed a couple weeks with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring and returned to the lineup yesterday.
- Ozzie Albies, 2B: $7MM club option (no buyout)
Albies agreed to a pair of $7MM team options on his exceedingly club-friendly 2019 extension. He signed away up to four free agent years for a $35MM guarantee that’d max out at $45MM if the Braves exercised the options — the first of which contained a $4MM buyout.
For a few years, it was among the biggest bargain contracts in the league. A pair of down seasons in 2024-25 reduced the surplus value somewhat, though Atlanta still had an easy call to exercise the first option last winter. Picking up the second should require even less deliberation.
Albies has rebounded to hit .271/.329/.441 and is third among second basemen with eight home runs. The NL second base field is crowded, but Albies is putting together a strong case for his fourth All-Star selection while playing on a salary just above what Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Miguel Rojas commanded as free agents.
- Tyler Kinley, RHP: $5.5MM club option ($1.25MM buyout)
Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies last summer. He pitched brilliantly down the stretch, but they nevertheless declined his $5.5MM option for 2026 in favor of a $750K buyout. They re-signed Kinley two months later on a $4.25MM free agent deal. He’s making $3MM this season and will be paid either a $1.25MM buyout or stick around for next season via $5.5MM team option.
Kinley, a slider specialist, has had a somewhat shaky start this season. His 23% strikeout rate is virtually unchanged from last year, but his walks have ticked up and he has been victimized by the home run ball. Kinley has given up a longball in four of his last eight times out. He’s up to 10 runs allowed (nine earned) across 20 2/3 innings.
The Braves have still used Kinley in a decent number of leverage situations. He’s tied for second on the team behind Dylan Lee with six holds. This one could go either way, but he’ll need to get on track to remain in skipper Walt Weiss’ circle of trust.
Miami Marlins
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP: $21MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Marlins’ deadline will hinge largely on what to do with Alcantara. He’s making $17MM in the final guaranteed season of the $56MM extension he signed in 2021. Alcantara has rebounded from an abysmal first half of the ’25 campaign, as he clearly had trouble dialing in his command when he initially returned from a Tommy John procedure.
Alcantara carries a 3.53 ERA with an above-average 49% grounder rate over his first 10 starts. He has allowed 3.47 earned runs per nine in 23 starts going back to last summer’s All-Star Break. The Cy Young form probably isn’t coming back, but Alcantara would be a lock for a team’s playoff rotation. He’s still sitting in the 97-98 mph range with his four-seamer and sinker, albeit with a slight drop in strikeouts.
Miami’s only guaranteed money for the 2027 season is the $10MM they’ll send to the Yankees on the Giancarlo Stanton contract. None of their arbitration-eligible players would cost more than a few million dollars. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that Alcantara is a favorite of owner Bruce Sherman.
It would take another major injury or an atrocious second half for Alcantara’s option not to get picked up. The bigger question is whether that’ll be by the Marlins. They’re 22-27 and fourth from the bottom in a competitive National League. FanGraphs has their postseason chances below 5%. The prospect return would be higher this summer than it’d be at the 2027 deadline given the extra playoff run they’re marketing to a contender. Will the Fish keep Alcantara as a veteran rotation anchor or shop him as one of the best available arms?
New York Mets
- Luis Robert Jr., CF: $20MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Mets took on Robert’s $20MM salary for the 2026 season in last winter’s trade with the White Sox. They didn’t surrender a whole lot in terms of young talent — Luisangel Acuña’s stock has tumbled over the past couple seasons — but it was still a sizable financial bet on Robert staying healthy and rebounding from two straight subpar offensive years.
Robert hit well for the first two weeks before falling into a slump in the middle of April. He had a .224/.327/.329 slash over 98 plate appearances when he landed on the injured list with lumbar disc inflammation. Initial hopes that it’d be close to a minimal stint haven’t panned out. He’s coming up on a monthlong absence without a clear timeline for when he’ll ramp up baseball activities.
The bet on Robert’s tools and early-career success hasn’t panned out so far. They’ve needed to call upon prospect A.J. Ewing earlier than expected. Ewing has shown a very disciplined approach through his first eight MLB games after an excellent start to the year in Triple-A. It’s too early to simply lock Ewing into the 2027 center field job, but the Mets would be better for it if he nails down the position with a strong rookie season. That’d solidify the increasingly probable chance that Robert gets bought out.
Philadelphia Phillies
- None.
Washington Nationals
- Zack Littell, RHP: $12MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
Washington added Littell on a one-year, $7MM free agent deal. They included a $12MM mutual option that comes with a $4MM buyout. That’s an accounting mechanism that allows them to pay Littell more than half the money at the end of the season rather than throughout the summer in salary. They presumably hoped to shed some of the buyout responsibility by flipping Littell at the deadline, though the backloaded nature meant they’d have needed to cover some of it to find a trade partner.
That’s probably a moot point, as Littell hasn’t pitched well enough to merit much attention. He owns a 6.10 ERA with a career-low 10.6% strikeout rate while giving up 14 home runs in just 41 1/3 innings. He’s the only pitcher with 40+ frames who is allowing a homer once in every three innings pitched. Most of that damage came in April, but Littell has only recorded four strikeouts in 12 1/3 frames this month. If the Nationals didn’t have one of the worst rotations in MLB, they’d probably have given more consideration to moving on from Littell already.
Note: The Nationals hold respective club options on Cade Cavalli ($4MM) and Max Kranick ($850K). Both players would remain eligible for arbitration if Washington declines.
Mets Select Anderson Severino
The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Anderson Severino. He has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, so he will stick with that club, but he is now on the 40-man and will be a candidate to be recalled to the active roster going forward. Pitchers have to wait 15 days after being optioned before they can be recalled, though exceptions are made when someone else hits the injured list or a club needs a 27th man for a doubleheader. Right-hander Clay Holmes was transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move 40-man move. Holmes recently suffered a fibula fracture and is expected to be out of action until August.
The announcement from the Mets said that Severino was optioned after last night’s game, so the Severino/Holmes moves seemingly happened yesterday. The Mets also officially announced today’s earlier-reported outfield moves, with Austin Slater designated for assignment and Nick Morabito recalled. Those moves drop the 40-man count to 39, so the club has an opening for Zach Thornton, who is going to be selected on Wednesday. Thornton will fill the 40-man tomorrow but the Mets will need to make a corresponding active roster move for him.
Severino, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. It’s possible that the pact contained some kind of opt-out or assignment clause. That usually explains why a club would add a player to its 40-man roster and then immediately option him. Giving him a spot prevents him from opting out or getting sent elsewhere, but also doesn’t require the club to immediately call the player up, which would then require a corresponding move. There have also been a few cases where a player has been given a roster spot to prevent him from pursuing an opportunity overseas.
Whatever the reasoning, it’s understandable that the Mets don’t want Severino to get away, as he is out to a hot start. He has thrown 17 1/3 Triple-A innings so far this year, allowing just 1.04 earned runs per nine. His 12.1% walk rate is quite high but he has punched out 27.3% of batters faced and induced grounders on 52.6% of balls in play. His ERA has gotten some help from a .231 batting average on balls in play and 83.3% strand rate but Severino’s 3.00 FIP suggests he would be getting good results even with more neutral luck. His fastball is averaging just over 96 miles per hour and he’s throwing a mid-80s slider almost a third of the time, along with a rarely-used curve.
It’s not the first time Severino has posted good numbers in the minors but he has only received a brief look the majors. His big league track record currently consists of just 7 1/3 innings tossed for the White Sox in 2022.
He is not quite back to the majors just yet but he is now in a good position to return to the show for the first time in four years. The Mets have two lefties in their bullpen at the moment but one of them is long man Sean Manaea, meaning that Brooks Raley is effectively the only proper southpaw reliever. If they want to add another lefty or just need a fresh arm at some point in the future, Severino is now on the 40-man and could get the call.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Mets To Promote Nick Morabito
The Mets are planning to recall outfield prospect Nick Morabito for his major league debut, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. He’ll fill the 26-man roster spot that’s being vacated by the previously reported DFA of veteran outfielder Austin Slater.
Morabito, the No. 75 overall pick in the 2022 draft, entered the season generally ranked between 10th and 20th among Mets farmhands. The 23-year-old has held his own thus far in his first taste of Triple-A, slashing a roughly league-average .253/.364/.390 in 175 trips to the plate. Morabito has walked at a hearty 12% clip, fanned in 22.9% of his plate appearances, connected on four home runs and gone 14-for-16 (87.5%) in stolen base attempts.
Morabito hasn’t hit the ball particularly hard in the upper minors, and despite this season’s four home runs, he’s considered to have well below-average power. He’s a plus runner who’s capable of handling all three outfield spots at an above-average level.
The Mets already have a crowded outfield mix, thanks in part to a pair of fellow rookies; Opening Day right fielder Carson Benge has come alive at the plate lately, and A.J. Ewing has hit the ground running since last week’s promotion to the big leagues. Juan Soto entered the season as the everyday left fielder, but he’s spent more time at designated hitter lately while playing through forearm and ankle issues (the latter stemming from an at-bat last week where he fouled a ball into his right foot).
Soto’s uptick in DH time and Slater’s DFA could create more outfield opportunities for the fleet-footed Morabito. The influx of youth and steady presence of Soto’s bat will likely continue to cut into playing time for outfielder/designated hitter MJ Melendez. The former Royals top prospect has predictably cooled off after a blistering start to the season. Melendez provided an early spark when he hit .345/.406/.655 in his first 33 turns at the plate, but that production was buoyed by a .533 average on balls in play and came in spite of a 36.4% strikeout rate and 68% contact rate. Melendez’s lack of contact has caught up with him. He’s hitting .133/.278/.200 with a 33.9% strikeout rate this month and is currently in a 1-for-20 slump.
Morabito was selected to the 40-man roster back in November in order to shield him from selection in December’s Rule 5 Draft. As such, he’s in the first of three minor league option years. Enough time has passed in 2026 that he can’t accrue a full year of major league service this season, meaning Morabito will be under club control for at least six additional years — all the way through 2032. That timeline could change, depending on whether Morabito is optioned back to Syracuse at any point (and on how long said optional assignments last).
Mets To Designate Austin Slater For Assignment
The Mets are expected to designate outfielder Austin Slater for assignment, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran latched on with New York in late April after getting DFAed by the Marlins. The team has yet to announce the move.
Slater took the spot of another well-traveled outfielder, joining the club when Tommy Pham was designated for assignment. The Mets were Slater’s third team in a little over a month. He opted out of a minor league deal with the Tigers before signing with the Marlins. After a dozen games in Miami, the outfielder lasted just nine games in New York.
A platoon bat for much of his career, Slater has just four plate appearances against right-handed pitching this season. He picked up two hits in those chances. The veteran scuffled against lefties, posting a .444 OPS with a bloated 33.3% strikeout rate.
Slater’s skillset is somewhat duplicative of Tyrone Taylor‘s contributions, and he doesn’t offer the same defensive ability. With A.J. Ewing emerging as an everyday option in the outfield, the Mets didn’t need two right-handed bench outfielders. Slater will now head back through the DFA process. If the Mets don’t find a trade partner, and no club claims him, the veteran can forego a minor league assignment and choose free agency. That’s how he landed with the Mets after departing the Marlins.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Mets Select Daniel Duarte
The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Daniel Duarte. In a corresponding active roster move, fellow righty Joey Gerber has been optioned to Triple-A. To open a 40-man spot, lefty A.J. Minter has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Duarte, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. He has been with Triple-A Syracuse and putting up good numbers, at least on the surface. He has thrown 17 1/3 innings over 12 appearances, allowing 2.60 earned runs per nine.
Beneath the hood, things aren’t quite as impressive. His 19.7% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate are both subpar numbers. His 45.8% ground ball rate is above average but only by a few ticks. His ERA would be far higher without good luck, since his .255 batting average on balls in play and 82.5% strand rate are both to the fortunate side. His 4.21 FIP is perhaps a better representation of how he has pitched this year.
It’s possible Duarte is up to give the Mets some emergency length out of the bullpen. Their rotation is in a transitional phase at the moment, thanks to the recent injury to Clay Holmes. That leaves them with a four-man rotation consisting of Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, David Peterson and Freddy Peralta, with Peterson often pitching behind an opener. They have Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea as potential options for some bulk work, though Manaea tossed four innings behind Peralta yesterday and won’t be available for a few days.
Scott is starting tonight’s game. He hasn’t gone more than five innings in any game yet this year. McLean is listed as the starter for tomorrow’s game. It would be Holmes’s turn on Wednesday, so the Mets will need to figure out a plan for that game, whether it’s leaning on Myers as part of a bullpen game or calling someone up from the minors.
Five of Duarte’s 12 appearances this year have been two innings or longer, including three of the past four. He hasn’t pitched since May 12th, so he should be fresh and could help out in the coming days, perhaps if Scott can’t go very long tonight. Gerber hasn’t pitched since a game for Syracuse on the 12th but has mostly been throwing one-inning outings in the minors this year. Duarte still has an option and could be easily sent back down to Syracuse if he soaks up some frames and another fresh arm is needed.
As for Minter, he underwent lat surgery last year and was still recovering from that procedure as the 2026 season began. He began a rehab assignment in April but was pulled back in early May due to some left hip discomfort, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He started a new rehab assignment on May 15th, tossing an inning for Syracuse. Since he has been on the 15-day IL all year, his 60-day count is retroactive to the beginning of the season. He will therefore be eligible for reinstatement next week.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images
Clay Holmes Likely To Avoid Surgery, Could Return In August
The Mets will be missing right-hander Clay Holmes for a significant chunk of the season, but he could return sometime after the All-Star break. The veteran starter fractured his right fibula on Friday against the Yankees. Holmes told reporters, including Chelsea Janes of SNY, that surgery hasn’t been ruled out, but doesn’t appear to be necessary.
Manager Carlos Mendoza was equally optimistic about the outlook for Holmes. “Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said, relayed by ESPN. The skipper added that Holmes is expected to need six to eight weeks to heal, plus an additional ramp-up period similar to Spring Training, which would be another month and a half or so. That schedule would get Holmes back into the Mets’ rotation sometime in August.
Holmes was struck by a 111 mph line drive off the bat of outfielder Spencer Jones in the fourth inning of the first game in the Subway Series. He somehow stayed in, wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam later in the frame. Holmes was removed after walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. with one out in the fifth inning.
The Holmes injury was the latest in a laundry list of health concerns for the Mets. The pitching staff is already missing right-hander Kodai Senga and reliever A.J. Minter. On the hitting side, shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and first baseman Jorge Polanco remain out. Catcher Francisco Alvarez tore the meniscus in his right knee earlier this week.
The Mets dropped the first game against the Yankees, but rallied to win the next two, including a wild walk-off win on Sunday. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor blasted a two-out, three-run home run off closer David Bednar to send the game into extra innings. Rookie Carson Benge finished off the comeback by driving in the game-winning run in the 10th inning. The Mets went 5-1 this week, improving their record to 20-26. It’s been exactly a month since they’ve been this close to .500.
New York hasn’t come up with a Holmes replacement yet. The corresponding move when the righty hit the IL was the promotion of reliever Joey Gerber. Current bullpen pieces Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea are candidates to step into the rotation. Manaea has continued to struggle after spiraling down the stretch in 2025, but Myers has been solid. The club’s competitiveness might determine the long-term solution. If the Mets can move closer to contention, the front office might consider a trade to supplement the rotation while Holmes is recovering. If the team can’t get back into the Wild Card mix, the internal options will have to do.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Luke Jackson To Opt Out Of Mets Contract
Right-hander Luke Jackson is triggering an opt-out clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Mets in early April, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports. Depending on the specific terms of the clause, Jackson may be a free agent immediately, or he could become a free agent if the Mets don’t add him to their active roster within the next few days.
Jackson’s time in the farm system has seen the righty post a 0.00 ERA over three innings at high-A St. Lucie, but then an 11.57 ERA over five games and 4 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse. Those rough numbers included seven walks against only two strikeouts against Triple-A batters, so it isn’t surprising that New York hasn’t yet felt compelled to call Jackson up to the majors. Even though the Mets are known for churning through relievers, selecting Jackson’s contract would also require a corresponding 40-man roster move.
A veteran of 10 Major League seasons, Jackson spent the majority (272 of his 409 1/3 career innings) with the Braves, posting a 3.97 ERA over his time in Atlanta’s bullpen. His best season was in 2021, when Jackson’s 1.98 ERA over 63 2/3 relief innings made him one of many unsung heroes on the Braves’ World Series championship club.
As one might expect for a grounder specialist, Jackson’s performance has tended to wax and wane in relation to his BABIP. Jackson’s control has always been spotty and his strikeout numbers have fluctuated rather sharply, and evened out at a 23.2% career strikeout rate. The 2025 season saw Jackson post a 4.06 ERA, 17.4K%, 12.8% walk rate, and 51.7% grounder rate over 51 innings with the Rangers, Tigers, and Mariners, as a .253 BABIP helped Jackson overcome his shaky secondary metrics.
If Jackson doesn’t end up with the Mets and instead becomes a free agent, his track record means that he’ll probably land another minors contract relatively quickly. The right-hander has played for six different organizations since July 2024, so Jackson is getting quite used to changing teams.