The start of the offseason hasn’t been particularly kind to the New York Mets, as their roster has been raided early in free agency. Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and Tyler Rogers have all found new homes on the open market, and while the team managed to sign guys like Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco, it feels like they have even more holes to fill than they initially did when they entered the offseason.
Still, there is a lot of time for New York’s front office to get to work and rebuild the roster. It’s not going to be a process that is completed with one signing, and it may take several players to help replace the team’s outgoing players. With that in mind, the Mets recently signed an intriguing pitcher, Daniel Duarte, to come in and help fortify their pitching staff.
Mets Sign Daniel Duarte to Minor League Contract
Duarte appeared to be turning himself into a solid reliever, only for injury issues to disrupt his career. After breaking into the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, Duarte would spend time with them through the 2023 season before landing with the Minnesota Twins. However, he appeared in just two games during his time with the team.
Early in the 2024 campaign, Duarte underwent season-ending UCL revision surgery, which also caused him to miss the entire 2025 season. Duarte hit free agency with a lot of question marks surrounding him, as he showed upside during his brief time in the majors. The problem is that his lengthy absence from the mound has many folks wondering what his stuff looks like.
Duarte has finally returned to action by playing in Mexican Winter Ball, and he’s looked strong, as he has posted 18.2 scoreless innings so far. New York took note of his strong outings, and it decided to bring him to town on a minor league contract to see if he can potentially find his footing after struggling to stay healthy.
“Mets have signed right-hander Daniel Duarte to a minor league contract,” Mike Mayer of Metsmerized shared in a post on X. “29-year-old has a 3.99 ERA in 36 big league innings as a reliever. He has thrown 18 2/3 scoreless innings in Mexican Winter Ball coming off UCL revision surgery.”
Mets Still Have Work to Do After Daniel Duarte Signing
GettyThe Mets have signed Daniel Duarte in free agency after losing Edwin Diaz and Tyler Rogers
Duarte has upside, but there’s no guarantee that he’s going to pitch in the majors in 2026. After suffering several key losses, New York’s major league roster needs an infusion of talent, particularly when it comes to finding a power bat to replace Alonso and some late-inning arms to offset the departures of Diaz and Rogers.
Free agents are flying off the board quicker than expected this offseason, which means the Mets may have to act with a greater sense of urgency if they want to bring their top targets to town. So far, free agency has been rather disappointing for New York, and it will be on the front office to bring some big-name players to town to help get fans excited for the 2026 season.
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