Free Agent Profile: Tyler Kinley, RP
Tyler Kinley, RP
Position: RP B/T: R/R
Player Data: Age: 34 (01/31/1991)
2025 Traditional Stats: 73 G, 72 2/3 IP, 3.96 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, 6-3, 73 K, 33 BB
2025 Advanced Stats: 117 ERA+, 23.7% K%, 10.7% BB%, 3.45 xERA, 3.69 FIP, 4.59 xFIP, 0.9 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR
Rundown
Once a promising arm in the Rockies’ bullpen, Tyler Kinley endured a pair of disappointing seasons in 2023 and 2024. The 2025 season didn’t get off to the start Kinley hoped for, as he posted a 5.66 ERA and issued 27 walks in 47 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old’s tenure in Denver mercifully came to an end on July 30 when he was dealt to the Braves. He finished his Rockies career with a 5.05 ERA across six seasons.
Upon arriving in Atlanta, Kinley enjoyed the best stretch of his career, allowing just two earned runs over 25 innings (0.72 ERA), holding opponents to just a .126/.191/.172 batting line with just one home run. While Kinley’s strikeout rate dropped in Atlanta, he only issued six walks, giving him a solid 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Despite this resurgence, the Braves decided to decline their $5.5 million team option on Kinley, making him a free agent.
Kinley’s turnaround can be partially attributed to his batted-ball luck turning in his favor – his opponents had a .318 BABiP in 2023 and 2024, but that number dropped to .244 in 2025 – and a minuscule .156 after the trade to Atlanta. Kinley excelled at limiting hard contact – his 29.6% hard-hit rate ranked in the 100th percentile on Baseball Savant, and his average exit velocity of 87 miles per hour ranked in the 93rd percentile. While his opponents’ expected stats show he may have gotten a little lucky, his xBA, xSLG, xwOBA, and xwOBACON all dropped at least 25 points from 2024. Kinley’s 3.45 xERA and 3.69 FIP suggest he has some room to improve heading into 2026.
Kinley relied heavily on his slider in 2025, using it 64.3% of the time. His slider held opponents to a weak .194 batting average and .297 xSLG with a 33.3% whiff rate. The pitch registered a plus-12 run value, a huge improvement from its negative-1 mark in 2024. Kinley’s four-seam fastball was hit hard, but it showed some improvement from 2o24, with its whiff rate increasing from 11.7% to 14.3% and its xSLG dropping from .568 to .428. Kinley also mixed in a curveball, which produced excellent results, holding opponents to a .054 batting average with no extra-base hits and a .134 xSLG. Despite only being used 146 times, Kinley’s curveball registered a plus-3 run value.
Contract
It was very surprising to see Atlanta decline Kinley’s option, considering how effective he was after getting traded. It’s not unreasonable to think Kinley could receive more than the $5.5 million he would’ve been owed in 2026, but considering he’s about to turn 35 years old, he likely won’t get more than a one or two-year deal.
Recommendation: Worth Checking In
It couldn’t hurt for the Mets to add another arm to their bullpen. Even if Kinley’s numbers aren’t as spectacular as they were in Atlanta, he could provide some solid depth to a relief corps that struggled mightily to finish games in 2025. Kinley also has experience closing games, which could be helpful if Devin Williams or Luke Weaver ever need a breather. Unless Kinley’s asking price is unrealistic, the Mets should consider him for the bullpen.
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