Mets Still in on Free Agent Lefty Bullpen Arm Tim Hill

The New York Mets recently added left-hander A.J. Minter on a two-year, $22 million deal, but they could still bring in another high-leverage southpaw to join their bullpen.

Free agent lefty reliever Tim Hill is drawing interest from a number of teams including the Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, as a source told Mets On SI Monday night.

Per source, Hill and the Yankees have mutual interest in a reunion after the veteran left-hander turned his season around upon arriving to the Bronx in June. That said, both the Mets and Yankees remain in the mix for Hill as do the other clubs mentioned.

The Mets are looking for another reliever after signing Minter on Jan. 17. Hill fits this bill and the 34-year-old should get a solid pay day given the success he had on the big stage in 2024 with the Yankees, which carried over into the postseason.

The Mets were initially linked to Hill earlier in the month.

Hill had a rough 5.87 ERA with the lowly Chicago White Sox and was released in mid-June. The Yankees pounced on him a few days later and he proceeded to put up a 2.05 ERA across 44 innings of work in the regular season.

In the postseason, Hill had an impressive 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings of work and was one of the Yankees’ most reliable bullpen arms next to breakout closer Luke Weaver.

Mets new assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel was also with the Yankees last year and had a hand in Hill’s reclamation.

The Mets could replace a high-leverage void left in the backend of their bullpen by upgrading from trade deadline acquisition Phil Maton with Hill. The righty Maton had his club option of $7.75 million declined by the Mets in November, making him a free agent.

Hill could be a perfect fit to take Maton’s spot and serve as a bridge to elite closer Edwin Diaz alongside Minter.

New York essentially swapped righty deadline pickup Ryne Stanek, who remains available on the free agent market, for Minter. There has yet to be any buzz this offseason surrounding the Mets interest in retaining Stanek, who the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs have been eyeing as of late.

It’s possible the Mets could target a high-leverage right-hander instead of another lefty after signing Minter, but it’s unknown whether that is their preference. As a result, they remain a possibility for Hill who has a robust market in free agency.

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