The New York Mets have done work to strengthen their bullpen this offseason and may not be done adding talent. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweeted that the Mets are openly interested in pursuing former Houston Astros RHP Ryne Stanek:
The Mets have interest in RHP Ryne Stanek as a bullpen option, per source. The 31-year-old had a 2.90 ERA in 186 appearances with the Astros from 2021-23.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 23, 2024
Stanek has all the makings of a perfect setup man for Mets superstar closer Edwin Diaz. Stanek’s arm wows, topping off at a 98.2 fastball that placed in the 96th percentile in 2023.
Owning a perfect 3-0 record in the playoffs, Stanek’s numbers exceed his regular season stats as he’s been good for a 2.70 ERA and 21 strikeouts to six errors against 73 total batters faced.
Stanek avoided missing considerable time after an ankle injury took a chunk out of his September on the mound. The 32-year-old has otherwise maintained his health, which is encouraging for Mets president David Stearns as he looks to make his bullpen as formidable as can be.
Stanek is coming off of his third year of arbitration where he earned $3.6 million with the Astros. His 4.09 ERA ballooned up from 2022, which could prevent that salary expectation from rising considerably. No other teams have been reported to be pursuing Stanek as of now, but that could change as the offseason wears on.
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