Tobias Myers will be on the New York Mets’ Opening Day roster regardless of how the starting rotation shapes up, manager Carlos Mendoza said on Wednesday.
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Freddy Peralta deal, the 27-year-old right-hander will be stretched out as a starter throughout spring training. If the rotation is full, he will be used as a multi-inning guy out of the bullpen.
“You’re going to need guys like him,” Mendoza said. “Like we said at the beginning of camp, we’re going to build him up as a starter, and hopefully everybody’s healthy. Long ways to go. Then we’ll have to make some adjustments. If we decide to put him in the bullpen, he’s definitely going to be a guy who will be a multiple-inning guy…
“If he’s healthy, he’s on the team.”
Myers made 22 appearances last season in Milwaukee, including six starts. He was 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched.
Garcia to be ‘big part’ of bullpen
Don’t let Luis Garcia’s journeyman status fool you: Mendoza fully intends to utilize him for significant innings in 2026.
“He’s going to be a big part of that bullpen,” the skipper said. “This is a guy who’s been in the league for quite a bit now, bouncing around some teams, but his stuff is there. High-90s, groundballs especially against righties… but he’s going to be a big part of it.”
The 39-year-old has played for four different teams in just the last two seasons alone, including stops with the Dodgers, Nationals, and Angels last year. In 55 innings, he posted a 3.42 ERA, but allowed just six runs across 28 innings with the Nationals and Angels.
Kimbrel will ‘get a chance’
In what might be one of the final stops of a Hall-of-Fame career, 37-year-old Craig Kimbrel is looking to latch on to the Mets’ bullpen after signing a minor-league deal on Jan. 29.
Last season suggests there is plenty left in the tank. He posted a 2.45 ERA in 13 appearances with the Houston Astros while continuing to evolve his arsenal.
The right-hander, who has made a name off a deadly fastball, curveball pairing, is working on instituting a cutter and a changeup at Mets spring training.
“The sweeper is good, the curveball we all know that, and he has the cutter now that he’s playing around with,” Mendoza said. “He threw a little bit of that changeup last year, but his bread-and-butter is the breaking ball, and hopefully that cutter plays in especially to lefties. So he’s going to get a chance here.”
New York’s closer situation is anything but certain. They signed Devin Williams as insurance should Edwin Diaz walk, which the star closer did. That makes the former Brewer and Yankee the top choice for the ninth inning despite having the worst year of his career in his lone campaign in the Bronx.
Luke Weaver, who also has closing experience with the Yankees but lost his touch late in games last year, is also in the mix. Should neither assert themselves, though, Kimbrel could find his way there.
