Mets continue Pete Alonso pivot by re-signing crucial reliever from NLCS run

The New York Mets are still waiting out Pete Alonso, but that hasn't stopped David Stearns from keeping busy. On Wednesday the team re-signed a key piece of its 2024 postseason run, agreeing with Ryne Stanek on a one-year deal.

Stanek struggled early on last season, but the 33-year-old was phenomenal down the stretch, especially in October. Including the postseason, he recorded 21 strikeouts and posted a 3.45 ERA. At between $4-5 million, this is a low-risk move keeps an Alonso reunion on the table. With or without the slugger, New York has improved every area of their team, especially the bullpen.

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The Mets' biggest strength could be their bullpen after Ryne Stanek signing

Stearns has given Carlos Mendoza many reliable options to use in 2025. The team recently signed lefty AJ Minter, who posted a 2.62 ERA last season. If Edwin Diaz can be a shade of what he was in 2022, the Mets will have one of the strongest backends of the bullpen in MLB.

New York also has suitable options outside of those three. Reed Garrett struck out 83 batters in just 57.1 innings of work last season. Jose Butto posted a 2.55 ERA across 74.0 innings. And the Mets also have a few wildcards in Dedniel Nunez and Huascar Brazoban: Nunez put together a great season with the Mets before getting injured, pitching to a 2.31 ERA in 35.0 innings, while Brazoban had a 2.93 ERA in 20 games with the Miami Marlins before arriving in New York at the trade deadline. Not to mention, Clay Holmes could always move back into the bullpen, where he's posted a 3.05 ERA since 2021.

In today's MLB, having a strong bullpen is a must. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees had top-five bullpens last season, riding them to the World Series. The Mets have not had a strong bullpen in a long time, and if they can still fill some other gaps in other areas, they'll undoubtedly have a better roster in 2025.

With or without Alonso, Stearns has put together another contending team on paper. The rotation has a ton of upside and moves can still be made. A healthy Kodai Senga paired up with Sean Manaea at the top of the rotation is intriguing. If they can re-sign Alonso, then they'll have one of the best lineups in MLB, along with a great rotation and bullpen.