The Mets and right-hander Mike Baumann have agreed to a deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman doesn’t specify whether it’s a major or minor league deal for the CAA Sports client. The Mets have a full 40-man roster and would need to open a spot for Baumann if he’s going on there.
It would be quite a shock if Baumann landed a major league deal. The 30-year-old spent the 2025 season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He wasn’t exactly dominant over there. He tossed 15 innings at the top NPB level with a 4.20 earned run average and 11 innings in the minors with a 4.09 ERA.
At the top level, he did strike out 25.3% of batters faced in that small sample but he also gave out walks to 16% of opponents. In the minors, he had a 20.9% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.
If it’s just a minor league deal, then it’s fine for the Mets. It adds some depth without using up a roster spot. Baumann has a bit of major league experience. He tossed 167 1/3 innings over the 2021 to 2024 seasons with a 4.95 ERA, 20% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 42.7% ground ball rate.
Those numbers weren’t elite but Baumann’s arsenal clearly intrigued teams. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged in the upper 90s. He also featured a low-90s slider in addition to a knuckle curve and a changeup which both averaged in the high-80s.
He began the 2024 season with the Orioles, the club he had played for since being drafted in 2017. But he exhausted his final option season in 2023, meaning his grip on a roster spot had loosened. Over the course of the 2024 season, he went from the O’s to the Mariners, Giants, Angels and Marlins via small trades or waiver claims.
After that hot-potato season, he tried to find a bit more security by heading to Japan. It didn’t pan out, so he has come back to North America and will join the Mets. Assuming this is a non-roster pact, he will try to pitch his way onto the club’s roster. Even if he does so, hanging onto his spot will be tricky on account of his aforementioned out-of-options status.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Lol what
Forever Swallow.
I wanted to buy a Swallows hat in Tokyo. I found one that said, I kid you not, “I Love Swallows.”
I did not buy the hat.
I assume I Swallow Love would not have worked for you either.
I was also tempted
But, that’s not my team, so…
There will be riots in Massapequa over this decent depth move
Connetquot will never be the same
Nor will Quogue
How about Speonk?
Come on guys, there aren’t enough people out in Suffolk for a meaningful uproar.
The people in Syracuse are already predicting Championship!
…but not the people in Queens, lol.
Oh so right you are, Doc.
Or Hauppauge, or Massapequa, or …
Vinny on the car phone in Ronkonkoma about to drive off the Wantagh Parkway into a stone bridge.
Not gonna lie these are funny, but not all of us LI Mets fans are crazy. That being said, I looked at his stats and woof, I don’t understand this signing at all. Didn’t look good in MLB and didn’t wow in Japan. Meanwhile, we need at least one more proven setup man.
@NMK: Agreed, but this is a minor league deal. He’ll probably throw 10-15 innings of low leverage relief for the Mets as they rotate relievers in and out of Syracuse. It’s virtually meaningless.
Is it though? Post doesn’t specify.
Don’t get so concerned as every team makes moves like this. One of their gurus likely saw something that was intriguing or that they believe can be fixed or adjusted.
Lake Ronkonkoma is much closer.
A Christmas Miracle! We finally snagged him!
A 4.50 ERA in Japan and a 4.59 ERA for his career with marginal k/9IP stats. Can’t wait for the next GM already
Threw an AA no-no though
It’s a minor league deal. You’d be the same clown complaining there’s no depth in triple A.
Where did you see that it was a minor league deal?
I think the original headline said that. The article has since been updated.
I didn’t see that in the original headline. I also didn’t see it in Heyman’s tweet. I still haven’t seen anything that says what kind of deal it is.
Oh maybe it was the original lead-in sentence, not the headline. I could swear it was somewhere on here at first.
It’s all good. We’ll find out eventually lol.
Just saw it in the NY Post. It’s a minor league deal.
Good thing he’s focused on those AAAA RP’s instead of the top FA’s or even good FA’s. He probably spent three days working on this useless deal. Stearns is useless.
If you can only work on one deal at a time, you’re not going to make it as a GM, or POBO.
Yeah he should just overpay free agents now rather than wait out the market. Good call.And by the way, Cohen has made it crystal clear that when the farm is ready, they’re not buying all their players. You act like a petulant child that hasn’t gotten a new toy.
You’re truly are a dolt and a Stearns Fan Boy, giving him a pass on this Offseason. Yeah that Murakami deal was a brutal overpay. The Dodgers way overpaid for Diaz too. LMFAO. You’re a F’n idiot. You made that Cohen statement up. Here’s what he actually said “As typical, the usual idiots misinterpreting a Post article on Mets payroll for ‘ 26,” Cohen wrote. “I can’t imagine our payroll to be lower than last year. It’s always hard to predict but that would be my best guess.” According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Mets finished the 2025 season with a year-end 40-man payroll of $338.548 million after beginning the campaign with an Opening Day 26-man payroll of $322.637 million. At the moment, New York is currently projected to be carrying a 40-man year-end payroll of $297.694 million in 2026 by Cot’s. Actually $287.694 million after the McNeil trade. So expect the Mets Payroll to be the same or more this year. Especially with major holes at 1B and OF, and the need for a TOR SP.
Sure McClean and Benge are locks for the 2026 Team. But with trades and possibilities of underperforming (i.e. Acuna and Mauricio) you can’t rely on all of your top Prospects. Stop lying and thinking you’re smarter than everyone else. Probably best to STFU and listen to others.
Best PBO/GM in Baseball’s quote on FA. Andrew Friedman: “If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.” I’ll listen to a guy who has built a juggernaut in LA, just won the last two WS, and made the small market Rays into a strong franchise. With 9 Playoff, and two WS, appearances since 2008. The Team still uses his philosophy on how to build a small market Team into a consistent team and winner. Stearns could learn a thing or two from him. Obviously you could too. So please go away
Merry Christmas a—–e. Don’t take your unfulfilled life out on me. I wasn’t quoting Cohen’s recent tweets. I was talking about literally every press conference he’s had the last five years. He always says he’s not buying an entire roster once the prospects are ready and you don’t sign free agents to long term deals and then block prospects. Maybe Bellinger gets 5 years. Nobody else is. And you’re melting over Murakama? You’d be the first one whining when he sucks. Mets are clearly retooling and got rid of all the loser core except Lindor.They aren’t buying a championship this off season. Cope.
You don’t know me and the great Life and Career I have. Currently overlooking Palma Ceia Golf Course in Tampa. Sitting with family and friends on my porch by the heated pool. Go suck a d**k you basement dwelling zero. Not melting over Murakama, I prefer Okamoto for 1B, just making a point. You like to draw your own conclusions out of other people’s comments. Also never said they’re buying a Championship but as Cohen said, which you ignored, Payroll isn’t going down. Until they have a full rebuild the Mets will continually have a top 3 Payroll in Baseball. Dont choke on some Turkey or flesh sausage. You like the cream that comes out of the flesh sausage, don’t you. Deal
I heard Stearns favorite movie is “How to lose a fan base in 10 moves”
If anyone is losing their allegiance to the Mets off of the signing of Mike Baumann, then adios. You weren’t a fan to begin with.
I’m just losing my confidence in Stearns.
I don’t think most fans are losing their allegiance to the Mets. But don’t think this is the best use of Stearns time. Signing AAAA players when the FA crop is thinning out and certain Japanese players need to be signed by Jan 2nd and Jan 4th. This is normally a late February signing as no one cares about beating Stearns to try to sign this joke of a Pitcher. You can only defend Stearns moves for so long. It’s the Holidays you can remove your mouth from Stearns body parts.
“But don’t think this is the best use of Stearns time”
Literally every team makes moves like this. It is literally his job to do this. You’re crashing out over a minor league signing in December. This is embarrassing.
No just disappointed with his Offseason so far. You’re a Steans Fan Boy and will never call him out. If you’re a New Yorker and a Mets fan we have every right to question him. You sign these types of AAAA players right as FA begins or right before ST. December and January is the key FA signing period and should be almost 100% focused on the top FA’s and filling your biggest holes. You are embarrassing
KennyF’nPowers: I would bet that Stearns knows better than you when to make moves.
Typical dopey Fan Boy comment. You’re a joke sir. Didn’t say I knew more or suggested any signings did I. Just voicing my frustration as a longtime Mets fan. I have every right as when I lived in NY I was a Season Ticket Holder and now pay for a Mets TV package that I live in Tampa. I buy Mets merchandise and wearables and so glad Cohen is the Owner. I’ll even admit Stearns did a good job on this Roster if it’s better constructed once ST starts. So please keep your childish comments to yourself.
KennyF’nPowers: Then why don’t you just reserve judgement until then?
Dopey? Pot, meet Kettle.
Cause I have every right to make judgements now. Like I disagree with Williams over Diaz. I know people say he wanted to sign with the Dodgers but money and years talk. If he went 4 years for Diaz he resigns. Please F Off!
KennyF’nPowers: Then don’t go around calling people dumb names. Choose to be a human being instead of choosing to be a dick.
BoylingPoint: I heard you’re a troll. Thanks for confirming it.
“How to lose a fan base”…And if Stearns would’ve doubled down((resigned or kept) an uber expensive, losing core of players those same “fans” would call Stearns/Cohen “cheap”, unimaginative or afraid to make necessary changes.
$305m and being accused of being cheap. Oy.
This is not the year to spend like a fool or go all in. Next year’s FAs are better.
I see a retooling of a roster. Many see betrayal. They forget Pete slapped Cohen in the face when he made a generous extension offer of $158m…$23m per year. Or that they made Díaz a $66m offer with slightly more deferred money.
They valued money over loyalty, right?
The Mets 2025 season ticket sales were a record. So far 2026 season ticket sales are higher than at this point last year.
Mets are right up against the so called “Cohen Line”, the highest tier of the CBT. They are not cheap. They are spending more than anyone other than the Dodgers.
He doing a great job !!!
Going all in this season.
Lets keep these moves going all day. I guess Christmas came early! I’M NOT STUPID. I’M SMARTER THAN YOU.
Ok, it looks like the pitcher’s gotten everyone a little too excited.
What a JOKE!
The Cincinnati Mets making moves!
The reds were good at pitching in 2025. This move is more like a Nationals pitching move. Cheap warm body type.
You mean a Dodgers pitching move?
You know, the two-time World Series winners
The dodgers do that because there is literally billions of dollars of players ahead of that warm body. Their warm body and the mets warm body isn’t the same. The mets player can play opening week…
There’s the David Stearns we know
Meanwhile the Marlins signed a quality reliever like Fairbanks for what is currently a bargain 13M. What is Stearns thinking?
@ Joel
Fairbanks was such a bargain at $11MM that no team would trade for him.
Since you don’t know what was offered, I don’t see how you have much of a point.
The Rays didn’t give any team that option as they released him. The small budget Marlins probably would’ve rather given up a 15-25 Prospect for Fairbanks and pay $2 M less next year. The Rays made the mistake.
The David Stearns show. Marlins got Fairbanks Mets get waiver trash. Not spending a dollar to see a game for a while.
“Pop had Genco. Look what I got.”
Pop had Jocko…look what I got.
“Pop had Genco”..You’re out, Buckner. You’re not a wartime consigliere.
If you were Fairbanks, why would you turn down $15mm to close (and pad your stats)? With the Mets, he’s somewhere 2nd-4th in the pen, competing with Weaver and Minter for 8th inning opportunities and the chance to fill in for Williams.
Did you see an offer to Fairbanks? Because I haven’t. Stearns can’t even shop at that store
He wanted to stay in Florida and made that pretty clear.
And you got Devin Williams, who’s better than Fairbanks. So what’s the problem?
I don’t think real fans will miss you. Mets had record season ticket sales last season and they are up so far for 2026. I don’t think they will notice you are gone and good seats are going to be hard to find.
Must be a new fan. Definitely not as long as I am. I am a professional who lived through it all. You’ll be singing the same tune in a few years. Rookie…
Another Stearns lightning in a bottle hopeful.
“Veteran playing in Japan” says it all. His time has passed.
5.1 walks per 9 in Japan doesn’t inspire much confidence. I mean I want him to succeed as a player, don’t get me wrong but he doesn’t seem to be one of the dudes who goes overseas and found himself.
Wow. Looks like we are a lock for the championship. lol
L O L OMG FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY
He was decent for orioles one year picking up 10 ish wins by keeping them in games (not blowing saves that I recall as he was a mid game reliver)
He throws hard but his fastball gets hit hard. Has a good knuckle curve but not much in the way of command.
He’s a reclamation project for sure. Was a top 10 O’s prospect for a number of years. (System was fairly weak at the time)
Yep, 2023. When Ben McDonald called him “the vulture” for feasting on those wins other pitchers left laying in the sun
Wrong Japanese pitcher dude
And the marlins sign Pete Fairbanks. Sterns is really screwing this off season up
I guess Mr stearns is not that smart. Maybe
Love the apple butter.
Wow. It’s a depth signing. This is likely a MiL deal.
All teams sign a bundle of lightning in a bottle MiL depth guys. Too much ado about nothing here.
I get it but right now we need starting MLB pitchers and an outfielder that can hit. Look at the depth chart we have zero MLB ready players. Cant field a team by bringing every minor leaguer up at same time that’s just doing a disservice to those players. Stearns wants to go a different route that’s fine but have to replace what we lost and signing all these minor leaguers with invite to camp is recipe for another disaster like 25.
We do. It’s not like free agents are flying off the boards. Does it mean they will sign any of them. Not necessarily.
But this is no relation to that.
Bellinger, Framber, Ranger, Bregman, Tucker, Okamoto, Imai, Eugenio, etc…still out there.
Personally, I’d rather wait for next year on Skubal, Peralta and go light this year and see how the kids develop.
Okamoto, Bassett or Giolito, Hays or trade for an outfielder would likely make the team solid.
If by solid you mean a team that finishes 78-84, then I agree, very solid.
Are you guys aware that the Mets are right up against a $300m payroll?? Which means any subsequent $$$ spent means they are also paying 110% tax on every dollar spent(over $304m). Watching moves this off season so far it seems the reckless spending could be over… don’t expect an announcement of some sort though.
I disagree respectfully. The below is not a 78 win team.
Lindor
Semien
Soto
Polanco
Alvarez
Baty
Okamoto
Hays/trade
Benge
Taylor/Mauricio/Torrens (another infielder (I’d love to see Jett in CF, but carrying them both is unlikely)
Manea, Senga, Bassett, Holmes, Peterson, McLean
—Williams, Weaver, Raley, Minter, Brazoban, Sproat maybe, add someone here
Agreed.
It’s easily an above-.500 team.
Yes, everyone is well aware of the tax.
Your list contains numerous maybes that you hope will turn out favorably. There’s exactly two position players that we can pretty much count on to hit. There’s 1 1/2 starters we can count on to perform well. Keep in mind that baseball games are 9 innings long, not 5.
Fangraphs projects the roster right now to have the 6th highest fWAR in the majors, the offense to be 8th.
Any addition increases it likely. And I expect there are more moves to come.
I mean, that’s baseball Susan
@rjtfd: “I get it but right now we need starting MLB pitchers and an outfielder that can hit”
The signing of Mike Baumann to a minor league deal has literally zero bearing on these theoretical moves.
Yeah but they didn’t sign him to minor league deal according to article. Unless you know more I’m reading they signed veteran right handed. My bad if I’m misunderstanding
@rjtfd
Just because the team needs A & B doesn’t mean they don’t have other needs as well. It also doesn’t mean they are not allowed to address those other needs until needs A & B are filled. Teams have needs in both the 40 man, and for minor league depth. Without depth, they won’t win anything.
This guy holds the record for most MLB teams pitched for in one year, with 5 in 2023
Meh
Be still my beating heart. Everybody is waiting for that big Mets free agent signing to pacify the rumbling and grumbling fanbase. Somehow I don’t think this is it.
Split contract right???
Please tell me this isn’t a major league deal.
That’s what I was looking for. MLBTR post isn’t clear about that.
Rotowire is calling it a minor league deal.
rotowire.com/baseball/headlines/mike-baumann-news-…
If this is accurate, then everything is fine. If it’s a major league deal, Stearns is already sampling the eggnog.
Agreed, @NMK.
O’s fan here. He sucks. That is all.
Angels line up
Trout. Schanuel, zeto, Adell, ohoppe, moore, Grissom, campanero, rada
Kikuchi, Soriano, deitmers, Dana, Rodriguez, manoah,
Closer ramano
Championship caliber team.
Angels 4 runs, opponent 3 runs. All year
Watch Moore break out
Will Moore break out in pimples or hives?
Wilpon 2.0
I assume the Mets contacted Valdez’ agent to inform them they’ve gone in a different direction.
That explains why he went to scout in Japan!!
But the Mets aren’t rebuilding…nah…
Wait, is this not Mike Tauchman??
I love baseball ⚾️😁👍
The marlins are now viewed as a more attractive destination than the Mets
No, they just offered one player more money than the Mets did.
The Marlins also offered the closer job. Fairbanks will want a new contract next year and saves pay more than holds.
This means sterns’ churn and burn bullpen roster strategy will continue. Carlos Mendoza should start prepping now for bullpen management
Mets ruining baseball (for their own fans)
Make Soto earn that billion , put him to pitch middle relief.
Is Bauman paying Mets or they paying him ?
Would it really be that bad to have spent another $15-20 million on the bullpen and have a set bullpen? Even if a starter gives a quality start the oppposing batters will feel confident that they can have good at bats against this bullpen by committee. Bad strategy to save money by skimping on the bullpen.
“Another $15-20M..skimping on bullpen”..Personally I expect the Met’s pitching, including the bullpen, to be significantly improved this year.
Give me 3 or 4 above average relievers over any one, massively expensive, “super reliever”(Diaz) all 7 days of the week.
There still plenty of off season left for upgrades. Investing it all in mostly one guy was always a bad idea in my view.
This guy is ticketed for Syracuse. Chill.
I wouldn’t call signing someone for $17 million a year skimping. Especially when they’re up against the luxury tax.
Many of the Mets fans on here are the whiniest in baseball. The Mets spent $28 million on their bullpen for 2026, the most of any team I think, and they are whining about them skimping.
The Mets needs are SP and LF and guys like Yellowstreak are complaining about minor league deals.
LOL. My spellcheck didn’t like cleats and changed it to streak. I think it fits so I will leave it.
Who?
Another Chuck Churn. Mets used 12 relievers for 6 or fewer games in 2025.
Not to mention guys like Baumann who didn’t even get called up.
There are 26 MLB roster spots and 165 minor league roster spots, yet the majority of people on this site have monumental meltdowns if future HOFers aren’t signed to fill those 165 spots. I get that you’ll never understand baseball, but please seek therapy for your own sake.
Mets and Yankees gunning for 3rd place.
At the Woodbury Commons as my wife does her annual “let’s bankrupt the family for a generation doing outlet mall shopping for Christmas” and it sounds like from what I am hearing on the NY radio that this is a minor league deal with an invite to the major league camp. Sounds right because he is definitely a depth type pitcher.
That wailing sound you are hearing is my credit cards crying out in pain. If you were here you could probably smell the plastic burning. I may have to hire a porter to help carry all this stuff either than or take multiple trips to the car.
Don’t they have good outlet malls in OC?
We have family in New York so we all meet out here for Christmas. Woodbury Commons is one of the biggest anywhere. Once a year she gets to splurge and treat herself and the rest of the family to just about their heart’s desire. Their faces this morning was worth it.
@Chris G.
They are also expecting everything to be signed before Christmas, that also is not how baseball has worked for about forever. A few GM’s, over the years are different, like AA who try to do everything early.
Probably a minor league deal, nothing to get worked up about
Good minor league depth signing.
Ahhhh..Swallow…the Japanese bird of love.
He’s giving up a lot if for just a minor league deal….amirite?
Is Dicky Lovelady on the The Swallows?
Time to bring back Big Sexy.
My question is can the Mets financially afford this move? Just how much more money can they squander? Someone needs to reign in Stearn reckless spending.
The online fan base is definitely polarized. Luckily, none of us are running the team. Haha!
Not a big fan of Stearns but I am willing to wait. And if this year is lesser, I imagine Cohen saw the colossal waste of money and mid season prospects traded this past year.
I imagine we will see more Baumann’s than Bellingers the rest of the off season. Hang tight til ST folks and see what shakes out! Peace.