The New York Mets are set to have a very busy offseason. Top exec David Stearns is looking to revamp his roster after yet another disappointing season. Starting pitching will be a key area of focus, as will be a new first baseman. Nevertheless, New York is also expected to target multiple relief pitchers.
In fact, The Athletic’s Will Sammon is reporting that Stearns is already eyeing two veteran pitchers for his bullpen. According to the writer’s sources, the Mets are targeting some of the most highly rated left-handed relievers on the market. “New York has recently expressed interest in free-agent lefties Alex Vesia and Tim Hill, the sources said,” claims Sammon.
As the reporter points out, “more than half the league has registered interest in Vesia.” After all, the lefty is widely regarded as one of the top southpaw specialists in free agency. As such, a team will have to pay the former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever a decent contract. Sammon’s colleague, Tim Britton, recently projected Vesia to earn a two-year, $22 million deal with a new team.
Hill, on the other hand, would be the cheaper option for the New York Mets. The lefty just finished off a one-year, $3 million deal with the New York Yankees. It remains to be seen how much the veteran can fetch in free agency, but it is not expected to be in the Vesia range. Hill compiled a 4.60 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 2026.
Tim Hill Could Soon Become Lefty Specialist for the New York Mets
Vesia would be the better left-handed reliever option for the New York Mets. Nevertheless, Stearns could opt to move for Hill due to the team’s various roster needs. New York needs players in several positions and will likely have to spread money around to fill these holes. They are also targeting a huge deal with superstar ace Tarik Skubal. If they land the ace, other subsequent moves could be scaled down.
While Hill’s 2026 statistics with the Yankees do not exactly jump off the page, he is viewed as a lefty specialist. In fact, his opponent batting average against left-handed hitters was an impressive .213 (compared to .293 against righties). The New York Mets only had two prominent southpaws in their bullpen this past season: David Peterson and Brooks Raley. Both were traded away in the summer.
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Interestingly, Hill is not the only former Yankees pitcher to be recently linked to the New York Mets. Paul Blackburn was also recently projected to sign with the Queens club during the offseason. Both relievers featured heavily for the Yankees throughout the most recent campaign. Blackburn was previously an All-Star in 2022 with the Athletics.
The Mets, however, will likely have other targets as well. Stearns and Co. could even target a trade if certain free agents sign elsewhere. Either way, New York will be adding relief pitchers in the near future. Stearns even told reporters on November 10 (as reported by Sammon) that the Mets will soon add to their bullpen.
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