A.J. Minter's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The New York Mets agreed with free-agent left-handed reliever A.J. Minter (hip) on a two-year deal worth $22 million on Friday, pending a physical. Minter was moved to the 60-day injured list in August of last year and missed the rest of the 2024 season due to a hip injury. The 31-year-old southpaw was a former second-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 2015 out of Texas A&M and made his big-league debut with the Braves back in 2017. All eight of his major-league campaigns came in Atlanta and he's posted a 3.28 career ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 36 saves, 422 strikeouts and 123 walks in his 348 2/3 innings pitched. In New York, he'll boost the Mets' bullpen as an experienced left-handed setup arm in high-leverage positions, but he's not going to see many, if any at all, save chances as long as closer Edwin Diaz stays healthy.

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Boston Red Sox have had multiple discussions with left-handed relief pitcher A.J. Minter. Minter has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Atlanta Braves. Last season, the southpaw logged 34 1/3 innings with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Minter was deployed as an eighth inning reliever as a set-up man for closer Raisel Iglesias. Minter posted a strong 26.1% K rate and generated hard contact at a solid 33.3% rate. However, he had his season cut short after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in August. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his recovery process during Spring Training as he may miss time early. With the Boston Red Sox acquiring Aroldis Chapman earlier this offseason, fantasy managers should expect Minter to return to a set-up role if he were to come to an agreement with the Red Sox.

Atlanta Braves left-hander reliever A.J. Minter (hip) visited with a specialist and will need surgery on his hip. The Braves won't know the severity until Minter is operated on, according to manager Brian Snitker, but the skipper couldn't say for sure whether Minter would miss the rest of the year. Given where we're at in the MLB season, it's a good bet that the 30-year-old veteran southpaw won't pitch again for Atlanta in 2024, even if they qualify for the postseason. It will be a big blow to the back end of their bullpen, as Minter has had a solid season with a 2.62 ERA (4.46 FIP), a 1.02 WHIP, one save, 35 strikeouts and 11 walks in only 34 1/3 innings pitched due to injuries. The Braves will now hope Joe Jimenez and Aaron Bummer can step up in Minter's absence in late-inning setup roles in front of closer Raisel Iglesias.