The New York Mets have added some experienced bullpen depth.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that veteran right-hander Mike Baumann signed with the Mets. It is a minor league deal, though the terms have not yet been disclosed.

Mike Baumann, veteran righty, signs with Mets

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 24, 2025

Baumann, 30, spent the 2025 season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he went 0-3 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts over 26 innings for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He appeared in parts of four MLB seasons before this past year, posting a 4.95 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9 rate in 134 career appearances.

In 2023, Baumann made a career-high 60 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, going 10-1 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 64.2 innings. The former third-round draft pick spent his entire career with the club until 2024, when he tied MLB’s single-season record by playing for five different franchises. That year, he combined for a 5.55 ERA in 57 appearances and was designated for assignment four times.

Mike Baumann’s 3Ks pic.twitter.com/6XBZFPPp2h

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 11, 2024

According to Statcast, Baumann ranked in the 87th percentile in average fastball velocity (96.5 mph) in 2024. The 6-foot-4 right-hander also threw a knuckle curve, slider, changeup, and sinker during his last stint in the majors.

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Injuries and ineffectiveness led the Mets to use an MLB-record 46 pitchers in 2025, a total that included three position players. They frequently cycled through relief call-ups to help cover innings, as their starters often struggled to provide length and taxed the bullpen.

New York’s bullpen will look much different in 2026 following the departures of Edwin Diaz, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, and Gregory Soto. The Mets added right-handers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to the back end and still have lefties Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, but the remaining relief spots are still up for grabs.

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