The Mets could look inward to address bullpen needs, potentially using young starters in relief roles in 2026.
The New York Mets have multiple holes to fill in their bullpen after losing Edwin Díaz, Tyler Rogers, and others this winter, but part of that need may be addressed internally.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, there is a decent possibility the Mets could use some of their younger starters in bullpen roles next season.
He wrote Monday that they are still expected to add external relief help, though closing experience might not be a focus, as they appear comfortable with Devin Williams handling ninth-inning duties.
This is not the first time the Mets have mulled such a plan.
In the lead-up to last summer’s trade deadline, they reportedly considered addressing their bullpen needs by using top pitching prospects — including Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong — in multi-inning relief roles.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has taken a similar approach in the past with Milwaukee, breaking in Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta as relievers before transitioning them back to starting roles.
Ultimately, the Mets acquired three relievers at the deadline and relied on McLean, Sproat, and Tong to help anchor their injury-depleted rotation down the stretch.
McLean, 24, was nearly unhittable through his first eight MLB starts, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 48 innings.
The right-hander’s 94.8 mph sinker helped him generate an elite 60.2% ground-ball rate, and opponents hit just .074 against his curveball.
For those reasons, McLean has been described as “untouchable” in trade talks and as a likely No. 1 or No. 2 starter for the Mets in 2026.
Barring trades, however, there may not be room in the major league rotation for Sproat and Tong, with veterans Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes still on the roster.
New York is reportedly targeting additional rotation help as well.
Sproat, 25, made four starts for the Mets in September, finishing with a 4.79 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.
The hard-throwing right-hander had an up-and-down year in Triple-A, posting a 4.24 ERA in 121 innings, but flashed his upside when he won Eastern League Pitcher of the Month honors in June after posting a 0.67 ERA in seven starts.
Tong, 22, earned MiLB’s Pitching Prospect of the Year award after leading the minors in both ERA (1.43) and strikeouts (179).
The right-hander was promoted to Triple-A in August and made just two starts at that level before being called up.
He experienced mixed results in his first taste of the majors, finishing with a 7.71 ERA, a 1.77 WHIP, and a 10.6 K/9 rate in five starts.
Both Sproat and Tong have the stuff to succeed as short-burst weapons out of the Mets’ bullpen, but there is risk in moving them into unfamiliar roles to begin the season.
Tong, in particular, could benefit from more time in Triple-A to fine-tune his command and secondary pitches, given his age and limited experience at the level.
Sproat, on the other hand, is three years older and has already logged 149.2 innings in Triple-A, so the Mets may not want him to linger there much longer.
Sammon reported that the club still views him as a starter in the long term, but his role in 2026 could depend on their roster construction by spring training.
