SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With everyone else scattering off the field after batting practice at NBT Stadium, home of the New York Mets’ Triple-A team, Brooks Raley locked into a demonstrative conversation with a minor-leaguer about pitches.
Raley, 37, enjoys such chats. He digs analytics and likes learning about people. Perhaps one day, he’ll try coaching.
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Just not anytime soon. Despite his age and coming off Tommy John surgery, Raley re-signed with the Mets in April on a one-year contract, guaranteeing him $1.85 million with a club option for 2026. The left-handed reliever expects to join the Mets after the All-Star break. Now, at the final stage of a lengthy rehab process, he looks ready.
“I never had a doubt,” Raley said in his first public comments since rejoining the Mets. “I would’ve never had surgery if I didn’t think I could play again.”
In his second appearance with Triple-A Syracuse and seventh of his rehab assignment, Raley recorded four outs Tuesday, going an inning-plus and allowing only one hit. In eight innings during his ramp up in preparation for the major leagues, Raley has allowed just six hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts.
Raley always relied on movement. But his velocity — his sinker averaged 89.7 mph Tuesday— resembles the same speed from 2023 of 89.9 mph, when he was a key cog in the Mets’ bullpen and threw a 2.80 ERA in 66 appearances. In 2024, Raley tossed seven scoreless innings before his elbow’s betrayal.
As a final step, Raley anticipates throwing back-to-back appearances for the first time during his rehab assignment on Saturday and Sunday.
The Mets need him. They are operating without a proven late-inning lefty in the bullpen.
That’s not by design. When Raley began negotiations with the Mets, they boasted lefties Danny Young and A.J. Minter, one of the game’s best. Almost immediately after Raley agreed to his deal, the Mets lost both Young and Minter to season-ending injuries.
“I know God works in mysterious ways,” Raley said, “but that was pretty wild.”
As a free agent while rehabbing, Raley said he collected five other offers he didn’t like before agreeing to the Mets’ deal.
“I was not willing to settle and take a job just for comfort,” Raley said. “I was like, I bet on myself my whole career, why wouldn’t I keep doing that?”
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Considering he needed to rehab his injury, Raley desired an opportunity with a team he was already familiar with. In the spring, Raley had what he referred to as a “candid conversation” with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns about the job the club wanted him to take. New York wanted Raley available to throw back-to-back appearances, pitch more than one inning when necessary; essentially, just be a regular member of its bullpen.
“I felt very comfortable with that,” Raley said, “and felt this was the right place to be.”
Originally, Raley liked the idea of getting healthy without being the guy, he said, understanding the Mets already had Young and Minter. But that changed. Over the last couple months, the Mets’ bullpen has used lefties such as José Castillo (now in Triple-A) and Richard Lovelady, who remains on the active roster. They could use Raley’s skill and experience.
Since May, after Minter and Young went down, left-handed batters own a .441 slugging percentage against Mets relievers. That’s the fourth-highest slugging percentage for that split in MLB.
Along with closer Edwin Díaz, an All-Star this season, New York’s bullpen includes right-handers Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazobán and José Buttó as late-inning options. The Mets have had to rely heavily on the group. That list should expand by the trade deadline, with the Mets front office canvassing the market for bullpen additions. Raley represents help. He said his goal is to work his way back into a high-leverage role.
“Any time you get off the bus of the big leagues and you’re running to catch up to it, there’s going to be adjustments so I am sure I will go through a period of that,” Raley said. “But I feel like I can be a contributing factor to the team.”
(Photo: Rich Schultz / Getty Images)
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