Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel has decided to stay with the Mets despite not making the club's Opening Day roster.
Mar 3, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Craig Kimbrel delivers a pitch against Nicaragua during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel has decided to stay with the Mets despite not making the club’s Opening Day roster.
The 37-year-old right-hander was informed on Saturday that he would not break camp with the team, with the final spot in the bullpen coming down to either Bryan Hudson or Richard Lovelady. Kimbrel will stay in Florida and continue to work in hopes of getting a call from the big-league team at some point in the early parts of the 2026 season, which begins on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I am going to stay down here in Florida and stay ready,” Kimbrel, who had the option to look for other opportunities around the league, toldof the New York Post. “My goal was to make the Opening Day roster. I am a little disappointed in that, but that is all on me.”Kimbrel, who signed with the Mets on a minor-league deal with an invite to big-league camp this spring, posted a 4.50 ERA during the exhibition slate while working on a new arsenal of pitches that includes a changeup and a cutter. He ranks fourth in MLB history with 440 career saves, and still potentially provides a late-inning option for the Mets should their initial vision for the bullpen come undone. They signed Devin Williams after he struggled in his lone season with the Yankees, then lost out on star closer Edwin Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers. David Stearns countered by bringing in another former Yankees closer, Luke Weaver, to factor into the set-up-man equation alongside southpaw Brooks Raley. With AJ Minter finishing his recovery from last season’s surgery, Luis Garcia, Tobias Myers, and Huascar Brazoban will be joined in the bullpen by starting pitcher Sean Manaea, who will begin the season in a relief role as the Mets embark on the new year with a five-man rotation of Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga.Joe Pantorno has been the executive sports editor of amNewYork since 2020. He covers the New York Mets and is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America . He is also a member of the Pro Hockey Writers’ Association and has covered the New York Islanders for nearly a decade. His previous stops include Bleacher Report and Metro New York, while his work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsday, and Yahoo! Sports.Tom Brady brings CardVault to Brooklyn, greets fans at new Flatbush Avenue shoppoliticiansTom Brady brings CardVault to Brooklyn, greets fans at new Flatbush Avenue shophas nothing to apologize forpoliticiansWoman goes on stabbing rampage with scissors inside Brooklyn apartment, kills senior and wounds second: Sources
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