The New York Mets are wisely stockpiling pitching depth at the upper levels of the minors.
In addition to reportedly signing Ofreidy Gómez out of the Dominican Winter League on Tuesday, the Mets picked up a second minor-league right-hander who will make his return to the mound at some point next year after missing the entire campaign this year due to Tommy John surgery.
As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported on Tuesday, the Mets agreed to terms with 28-year-old righty Tyler Burch on a two-year minor-league contract. Such deals are a rarity, but they allow teams to supervise players’ rehab if they believe they’ll miss most of the season, then retain them heading into the following season without the ability to elect free agency.
Burch spent the past season in the Colorado Rockies organization after being selected in the Triple-A phase of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. He had already undergone surgery and wasn’t expected to return this year, but rather than remaining with the Rockies at the end of the year, he elected free agency.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Lewis-Clark State (a powerhouse NAIA program), Burch has made 114 career minor-league appearances, almost exclusively out of the bullpen. He’s totaled a 3.71 ERA and struck out 186 batters in 174 2/3 innings.
Seeing as he’s never pitched above Double-A, it’s unlikely the Mets would consider Burch as an option for the major league roster this year. But his two-year deal should prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft again next year, assuming he’s added to the 40-man roster by the end of the league calendar.
This is a long-term play by the Mets, who clearly think Burch offers big-league upside as a potential middle reliever. Only time will tell if their patience pays off sometime late next year or early in 2027.
More MLB: Mets Make Intriguing Minor-League Pitching Signing: Report