Mets FA Rumors: Brock Burke Fixes NY’s Bullpen Weakness

The New York Mets enter the offseason with a few clear directives. Some may mean more than others, but solidifying the bullpen is one that goes mostly unnoticed if it’s not a closer. While the Mets do need to address that role, they also need to ensure they employ the talent to put the game in the fireman’s hands. More importantly, finding quality left-handed help could define the franchise’s late-inning success. Cincinnati’s Brock Burke could prove to be the solution.

Who is Brock Burke?

Burke is a 30-year-old middle reliever with six years of experience, posting a record of 27-17 and a 3.53 earned run average during his career. Last season, he led the MLB in appearances with 77, displaying his durability and ability to pitch multiple days in a row. Burke keeps the ball in the yard, allowing just 17 home runs in the last three seasons. Now, he does need to tweak his control, surrendering 4.8 bases on balls per nine innings last year. However, some of that looked like forcing pitches instead of working against hitters.

The southpaw features four pitches (four-seamer, slide, changeup, sinker) in his arsenal. Make no mistake, Burke does possess a lively arm, averaging 96.2 miles per hour. Yet, that does not rank highest on Burke’s list of out pitches. His slider, topping out at 86.4 mph, prompts 26.4% of his recorded outs. Opponents hit .167 off Burke’s slider.

Brock Burke, K’ing the Side. https://t.co/gRjCEZWiuO

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 5, 2026

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Future Role

Pairing Burke with Lavender gives the Mets flexibility. They can alternate between using one as a one-batter out and the other to provide a few innings. Ahead of them, the Mets have a predominantly right-handed rotation. Consequently, the demand for left-handed relief becomes a far more pressing concern.

14 times this season, fans have walked away with free pizza (11 team strikeouts).

Brock Burke has secured that 11th strikeout 5 times now.

BROCK BURKE THE PIZZA MAN

#Reds https://t.co/VwAZ9GuETY

— CincyNumbers (@CincyNumbers) August 15, 2026

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Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Brice Turang, and Pete Crow-Armstrong remain power threats from the left side that require immediate attention. While Ohtani hit Burke at a .357 clip, Crow-Armstrong is hitless.

Burke played in the National League Central with the Reds, so playing the Brewers and Cubs will not come as a surprise. Additionally, the way Andy Green deploys his bullpen will affect how Burke is used. His predecessor, Carlos Mendoza, would quickly pull starters, throwing relievers into games much earlier than anticipated. Bringing in another lefty into the bullpen prevents the Mets from burning Lavender out. Anthony Walsh of the New York Mets on SI details the case for Burke.

“Burke is coming off one of the best seasons of his career and could fit nicely alongside Nate Lavender as the main lefties in the Mets bullpen. . . Burke isn’t a one-hit wonder either. In 2025, he posted a 3.36 ERA with the Angels, and in 2022 he had the best season of his career with a 1.97 ERA as a Texas Ranger. Spotrac has his average annual salary set at $4.1 million, projecting him to sign a four-year, $16 million contract. That’s more than affordable for Stearns and allows him to lock up a reliable left-handed reliever for a long time,”

First career save for Brock Burke!

#ATOBTTR https://t.co/4VT8jINGDd

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 5, 2026

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The Mets need to fill so many positions. Bringing in a quality arm at a lower price means they can spend elsewhere. For a team that finished last with a bloated payroll, one reasonably-priced reliever makes the most sense.