The Mets are casting a wide net for left-handed bullpen help, but one name on the list looks like a poor fit from the jump: Tim Hill.
According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, New York has shown interest in a few different lefty relievers, including Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Alex Vesia, who has apparently caught the eye of more than half the league. The Mets have also checked in on New York Yankees reliever Tim Hill, though he comes with far less appeal.
Hill’s 2024 season wasn’t exactly a selling point. He finished with a 4.60 ERA across 58.2 innings, and while he was better in the two seasons before that, the 36-year-old feels more like a budget pickup than the kind of arm the Mets should be targeting if they want to upgrade.
That matters because the Mets already have a young lefty in the picture. Nate Lavender turned in a promising rookie year in 2026 and looks like someone who could develop into a top bullpen left-hander by the end of 2027.
With that kind of upside in house, the Mets don’t need to pair him with a lesser version of the same profile. Hill would fit that description.
The numbers don’t do Hill many favors, either. FanGraphs projects him for a 4.25 ERA and a 12.4% strikeout rate, which underscores the bigger issue: he’s not a strikeout arm. If the Mets’ defense already had some questions last season and only minor changes are expected, a pitcher built around ground balls could run into trouble fast.
Cionel Perez may be the better internal answer. He’s been ground-ball oriented in the past, but FanGraphs sees more upside there, projecting a 3.56 ERA with a 23% strikeout rate.
Perez posted a 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings for the Mets this past season, along with strong control at 2.5 BB/9 and a solid strikeout rate of 10.7 K/9. That at least gives the Mets a reason to keep him in the mix and let him compete for a 40-man spot.
Brooks Raley is another name the Mets have checked in on. He’s the familiar option, the one who can slide up or down the depth chart depending on how the rest of the bullpen shakes out. He may not transform the unit, but he also doesn’t carry the same downside as Hill.
Left-handed relief is clearly on the Mets’ offseason to-do list. Lavender should be part of the conversation next year, especially since his options give the team flexibility if they need to move him around.
Perez looks like a worthwhile camp arm and maybe more if he stays healthy. The Mets could even carry three lefties if they want to.
But if Hill ends up in Queens, he’d need to be on a short leash. Otherwise, it could end up looking a lot like Luis Garcia all over again.
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