The Mets will extend their relationship with their longest-tenured pitcher, as they’ve reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Drew Smith, which contains a club option for the 2026 season. Smith, who’s rehabbing from Tommy John/internal brace surgery performed last July, will be paid $1MM in 2025. His club option is valued at $2MM. The MVP Sports client can boost those totals by way of some yet-unclear incentives.
Smith, 31, has pitched parts of six big league seasons with the Mets. He’s been a fixture in their late-inning mix over the past four years, logging a combined 3.35 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate in that time. Smith has worked plenty of high-leverage spots, recording 33 holds and five saves in 156 appearances while being credited with only four blown saves during that time.
The surgery for Smith was deflating in multiple aspects. It not only knocked him out of the team’s Grimace- and OMG-fueled postseason run, it also coincided with the run-up to his first trip into free agency. A healthy Smith would’ve been an easy candidate for a guaranteed multi-year deal at a decent annual rate. On top of that, it’s the second Tommy John procedure of his career. After a solid big league debut in 2018, he missed the 2019 campaign due to the same procedure.
Depending how long the rehab process takes this time around, Smith could at least potentially be a late-season and/or October option for the Mets. Should he make it back, he’d join a relief corps also featuring Edwin Diaz, A.J. Minter, Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett and Jose Butto.
For now, once the deal is finalized, Smith will quickly be placed on the 60-day injured list. The Mets will technically need to open a spot for Smith before they can move him to the 60-day IL, but that can be accomplished by placing Christian Scott (also recovering from Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day IL. Smith could move to the 60-day himself once an additional spot is needed for another free agent signing, waiver claim, or the selection of a non-roster invitee to the 40-man roster later in camp.
With the Mets in the top tier of luxury penalization, the Smith reunion will actually cost them about $2.1MM overall (the $1MM salary plus a 110% tax). Those same taxes will apply to whatever incentives he unlocks this year (and next year, if the Mets are again in the top penalty tier in 2026). That’s a drop in the bucket for a club running a cash payroll north of $330MM and looking at roughly $110MM worth of taxes on top of that sum.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the agreement and structure. Jon Heyman of the New York Post added details on the guaranteed money and option value.
Why not!?
@SomTeaver Completely agree, got nothing to lose and some good to gain if he comes back from the injury with some life still in the arm.
Smith was frustrating many times but yeah, why not.
The guy is solid when healthy. Good depth move for the future.
Yes, it’s unfortunate how he reverts to his liquid state when even the most minor ailment hits him.
@Miken31 the only thing that he is solid at is blowing games
Lmao
resign Brooks Raley, pending health/physical.
@NYMETSHEA spot on as well. If he comes back close to what he was before he’d be a great 2nd lefty out of the pen.
It’ll probably be Scott to 60-day, Smith signed and put on 60-day, then Alonso officially signed to the 40-man.
Welcome back, Dr Smith!
@ $3 mil over 2 years? Why not? That’s all upside for the Mets.
happy for this guy, he was so sad when he found out he needed TJS again thinking he was done as a Met
Ug the worst reliever in the game. I knew he would resign back. He is awful. We started winning last year once he blew his arm out. I’ve been saying this for years. Pitchers ok in garbage time. When the game is on the line he blows it up
The 2026 option is all on this one, but unless the money is trivial and doesn’t cost enough to lose the ability to make a different move in this price range, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Stearns swooned at Drew’s K-rate, but there’s not much else about his game to like. If you believe in The Clutch, Smith is truly horrific, 33% worse than his average numbers in High Leverage situations, 31% worse than his average in Medium Leverage situations and 39% better in Low Leverage situations.
That Smith seemed to get absolutely shelled pretty much every time he came in with the game on the line is borne out by his OPS against in Hi Lev: .868 with a slash line of 283/356/512 against.
On average he won’t offer anything at 32 in 2026 beyond a tantalizing K-rate undermined by a lack of control, a mediocre HR rate, and a general inability to keep guys off base. If Stearns thinks his pitching lab has something to teach Smith, best of luck. Smith resembles in this regard nothing so much as the promising ex- entering middle age with no demonstrated ability to put down the crack pipe (i.e. turn that 11K / 4.6 BB into 10K / 2.8 BB).
When you hear Carlos Mendoza speak of the affection for Smith among the clubhouse – it lines up with that family notion. Maybe it sounds hokey but Alex Cohen seems to be at the forefront of fostering a great culture. And perhaps word gets around the league and it manifests in more coveted players wanting to be there. We will see. There certainly was no pressure and likely no competition to offer the guy a deal when he will be out all season