Before the Mets traded Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, before they let Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso walk, and before they added a smattering of All-Stars to their roster, the team’s offseason began with a subtler move: acquiring Joey Gerber.
A 28-year-old right-handed reliever, Gerber has just twenty innings of big league experience under his belt. Those twenty innings are curiously spread across two seasons: 2020 and 2025. Gerber was selected by the Mariners in the eighth round of the 2018 Draft, and he skyrocketed
through Seattle’s system. By the end of 2019, Gerber had dominated at Low-A, Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, and was ranked the organization’s No. 20 prospect according to MLB.com. The next thing he knew, he was in the majors during the shortened 2020 season, during which he put up a 4.02 ERA in 17 appearances.
But injuries struck, and Gerber threw just one professional inning over the following three seasons while battling back and forearm issues. In 2024, he finally found his footing and climbed up the minor league ladder all over again in the Yankees’ organization. Gerber pitched to a 2.43 ERA and racked up 40 strikeouts in 33.1 IP, rising from Rookie ball to Triple-A by the season’s end. The Rays gave Gerber a shot, hoping that his health would hold and his success would sustain, but the right-hander struggled in 2025 to the tune of a 6.23 ERA in Triple-A. Gerber enjoyed just two major league outings last season, allowing one run and three hits in 4.1 IP. On November 4, he was traded to the Mets in exchange for cash.
So what could Gerber offer the Mets’ 2026 bullpen? Well, for one thing, a deceptively effective fastball. At the start of the decade, Gerber was advertised as consistently throwing 95-97 mph; that’s no longer the case, since Gerber only broke 95 mph on five of the 45 four-seamers he threw in the majors last year. But the pitch registered an above-average 2369 rpm spin rate, as well as 13.6 inches of vertical drop — a mark which, weighted against similar pitches, would have been the most impressive on the 2025 Mets’ pitching staff. Put another way: Gerber’s fastball has life, and it can sneak up on batters. That’s the kind of trait which David Stearns would surely look to capitalize on, especially if the coaching staff can help Gerber gain an extra tick of velocity back.
Gerber also sports an unorthodox delivery, something which might appeal to a Mets team that brought in a trio of funky relievers (Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley, and Trevor Rogers) at last year’s trade deadline. Gerber is 6’4”, but used to dramatically drop down to throw from a sidearm angle. When he appeared back in the majors with the Rays last season, his arm slot was more traditional, but he instead featured an exaggerated leg kick. Perhaps the Mets could workshop a smoother, simpler iteration of his delivery to help him achieve a more perfect marriage of repeatable mechanics and effective stuff.
In addition to his on-field potential, Gerber offers roster flexibility. He still has an option remaining, meaning the Mets could afford to shuttle him to Syracuse and back. Is there a world where Gerber remains healthy and captures his old prospect potential in a breakout 2026? Absolutely. But Gerber doesn’t need to be the next Stearns masterclass to be a valuable pickup. The Mets used 43 pitchers last season, excluding position players. That means everyone — and I mean everyone — on the current 40-man roster and beyond could reasonably be called upon to take the mound. If Gerber can be a reliable, quality arm for even one month, or one week, or one critical series during the regular season, the trade will have been worth it. And if Gerber makes the team on Opening Day, flummoxes hitters with his lively fastball, and successfully fills the right-handed middle relief void left by Reed Garrett’s injury, then Stearns’ most under-the-radar offseason pickup could prove one of his finest.
