Injuries & Moves: Mets sign LHP Cabrera to Minors deal
This page will be updated throughout the offseason, with all the latest Mets signings, news and transactions.
LATEST NEWS
Nov. 27: Mets sign LHP Génesis Cabrera to Minor League contract
The Mets continued adding to their veteran bullpen depth Wednesday with the signing of Cabrera, who received an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Cabrera, 28, produced a 3.59 ERA in 69 appearances last season for the Blue Jays and holds a 3.89 career ERA over six seasons in St. Louis and Toronto.
Cabrera joins Chris Devenski, Dylan Covey, Kevin Herget, Rico Garcia and Justin Hagenman as recent pitching depth signings. Of note, Cabrera is the only left-hander in that group. The Mets only have one lefty reliever, Danny Young, on their 40-man roster, suggesting a clear path for Cabrera to make the team if he pitches well in camp.
Nov. 22: 1B Joey Meneses, C Jakson Reetz and RHP Hobie Harris agree to Minor League deals
The Mets agreed to terms on Minor League contracts with Meneses, Reetz and Harris, according to a combination of team announcements and sources. Meneses and Reetz each received invitations to Major League camp.
A breakout story as a 30-year-old rookie for the Nationals in 2022, Meneses hit 13 home runs in 240 plate appearances. But he proved to be roughly a league-average bat the following season and dipped even further in 2024, producing a .593 OPS in 76 MLB games and spending much of the season in the Minors. After the season, Meneses declared free agency and resurfaced in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, where he's produced a .337/.419/.606 slash line with seven homers in 29 games.
In New York, Meneses offers the Mets first-base depth regardless of whether Pete Alonso re-signs.
Reetz, 28, produced a .799 OPS over 58 games at San Francisco's Triple-A Sacramento affiliate. He also appeared in six games for the Giants and has prior experience in the Majors with the Nationals.
Yet another former National, Harris made a 16-game cameo in the Majors in 2023 before spending this season at Minnesota's Triple-A St. Paul affiliate. There, Harris struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings but also walked 5.1 per nine and produced a 6.79 ERA.
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Dedniel Núñez (strained right flexor tendon)
Expected return: Opening Day
The Mets shut Núñez down for the season in mid-September after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right flexor tendon, which had bothered him to varying extends since July. Initially, Núñez missed a month due to a similar injury. He returned for a single outing on Aug. 24 before landing back on the IL.
Following a second opinion, Núñez received his PRP shot on Sept. 13 in hopes of avoiding surgery, which he should be able to do. Núñez intends to work out with Licey of the Dominican Winter League and could even appear in a game or two if he continues to progress well. In any event, he should have what president of baseball operations David Stearns called "a pretty normal offseason."
Núñez was one of the Mets' best relievers when healthy, with a 2.31 ERA over 25 appearances. (Last updated: Nov. 22)
RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in mid-back)
Expected return: 2025
Blackburn was scheduled to rejoin the Mets' rotation on Sept. 9 in Toronto, but he felt something in his lower back after a rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Sept. 3. That something turned out to be a spinal fluid leak, which prompted the Mets to shut Blackburn down on Sept. 14. He restarted a throwing program four days later, but he never returned and wound up undergoing surgery in early October.
The operation, which carries a typical recovery timeline of 4-5 months, could affect Blackburn's readiness for Opening Day, but team officials hope he can resume throwing by early September. That would give them some level of optimism heading into the holidays. (Last updated: Nov. 22)
OF Tyrone Taylor (recovery from hernia and elbow surgeries)
Expected return: Opening Day
After the season, Taylor underwent both an umbilical hernia repair and a right elbow loose body removal operation. The Mets estimated the recovery time for those operations at around two months, which should have Taylor back to full strength well before the start of Spring Training. Assuming he's healthy, Taylor should reprise his role as the Mets' most-days center fielder. (Last updated: Nov. 18)
OF Brandon Nimmo (plantar fasciitis in left foot)
Expected return: Opening Day
Nimmo played through plantar fasciitis throughout the postseason and expected to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection early in the offseason to address the issue. He should be back to normal by Opening Day, though the issue will nonetheless be one to watch for Nimmo, who has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since May. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Christian Scott (right elbow UCL sprain)
Expected return: 2026
Scott's promising rookie season came to a premature end in late September, when underwent a hybrid elbow surgery that combines a Tommy John ligament replacement with the insertion of an internal brace. Scott is likely to miss the entire 2025 season and be ready for Opening Day 2026. At that point, he will be closing in on his 27th birthday with nine career big league starts on his resume. The Mets are hopeful he can still be a significant part of their future, but that's now far down the road. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
INF Ronny Mauricio (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Mauricio underwent arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 2 to remove scar tissue in his right knee, adding another complication into a difficult season for the 23-year-old. He had undergone a separate surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Initially, the Mets hoped Mauricio might return before the end of the regular season, but his second operation removed any possibility of that.
For now, the former top prospect's future remains in flux. Mauricio's recovery "has definitely gone a lot slower than we expected," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in late October, leaving doubt about what the infielder can provide in the future. Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with six extra-base hits, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases over a 26-game stint with the big league club in 2023 but has barely been on a diamond since that time. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets removed Reid-Foley from his rehab assignment in mid-August to give him time to strengthen his shoulder, which had affected him to varying extents since March. He resumed throwing in early September but ran out of time to rejoin the Mets, who finished their season without him. Arbitration-eligible for the first time, Reid-Foley will be a non-tender candidate this offseason. (Last updated: Oct. 25)