The New York Mets suffered a 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon. With a 4-6 record in Spring Training, the Mets will have a day off on Wednesday before continuing Grapefruit League action against the Houston Astros on Thursday. Despite strengthening their lineup in the offseason by signing left-handed slugger Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765 million contract, the Mets are dealing with key pitching losses.
With Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas expected to be unavailable at the start of the season, New York is counting on its pitching depth to step up. Several intriguing arms in camp could have an opportunity to make an impact.
One such pitcher is former Chicago Cubs reliever Adbert Alzolay. After a breakout 2023 season, in which he shined out of the bullpen for Chicago, the 6-foot-1 right-hander set career highs by appearing in 58 games, posting a 160 ERA+, and striking out 67 batters over 64 innings.
However, 2024 was a different story, as Alzolay was limited to just 18 appearances, recording a 4.67 ERA while allowing six home runs in 17.1 innings—one more than he surrendered in all of 2023. On Tuesday, the Mets reassigned him to minor league camp.
Alzolay, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024, had hoped to earn a spot with the Mets after signing a two-year minor league deal before Spring Training (per Will Sammon of The Athletic). While a future opportunity in New York remains possible, for now, he will begin the season in minor league camp.
