The Final Bullpen Spot: Who Gets It?
The Mets have (knock on wood) made it to this point in camp with nearly every pitcher projected for the Opening Day roster healthy. The Mets seem inclined to start the season with a five-man rotation, with Sean Manaea piggybacking a starter the first couple of times through:
By carrying six starters, the Mets are forced to carry only seven bullpen arms.
As of March 24, there are six locks for the pen:
This article is going to explore the two candidates for the final bullpen spot, weighing the pros and cons of carrying each.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Richard Lovelady
If you didn’t know, Richard Lovelady is back with Mets. Or maybe you didn’t know he ever left! Regardless, Lovelady is back with the Mets for the fifth time within the last calendar year. Now 30, the veteran southpaw is battling for the final bullpen vacancy, hoping this stay proves more permanent than his previous cameos. Lovelady mostly struggled in his 10 games with the Mets, pitching to a 6.30 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP and striking out just 8.1 batters per nine. Lovelady is a guy who can soak up innings and provides the Mets with another lefty in addition to Brooks Raley.
Lovelady would have likely been a more attractive bullpen piece before the three-batter minimum—he has a career opponent OPS of .660 against lefties but an .844 ops vs righties. In 2025, his opponent’s OPS vs. righties was 1.175. Lovelady isn’t the high-upside play, but he is a known entity. He offers the Mets a second lefty option alongside Brooks Raley and can serve as an “innings eater” in the short term. While he likely serves as a placeholder until the front office feels Craig Kimbrel or A.J. Minter are ready to claim the spot, Lovelady’s familiarity with the organization may be enough to earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Bryan Hudson
Hudson is a “well-traveled” towering lefty who had a remarkable 2024, sporting a 1.73 ERA and a microscopic 0.72 WHIP across 65.⅓ innings for the Brewers. His advanced metrics were nearly as elite, posting a 2.99 xERA while remaining well above average in walk, strikeout, and hard-hit rates.
However, 2025 was a struggle. Hudson dealt with injuries and split time between the Brewers and White Sox. This spring his results were poor but his fastball velocity is back to what it was in 2024 so perhaps that is a sign he is feeling healthy. Like Lovelady, Hudson is out of options, meaning the Mets risk losing him to waivers if he isn’t on the 26-man roster. Carrying Lovelady or Hudson until A.J. Minter returns would provide a second southpaw option, taking the pressure off Brooks Raley and giving manager Carlos Mendoza more flexibility for when to use Raley. Should neither of these options enter the “circle of trust”, the Mets could turn to a number of their relievers in traditional lefty specialist moments. One such example is Luke Weaver. In 2025, Weaver surrendered a sparkling .580 OPS vs lefties in 2025.
So, Who Gets It?
While Lovelady is the known entity, he does not offer the same upside as Hudson. Carrying Hudson provides the necessary balance to the pen and allows Mendoza to deploy Raley more strategically while also potentially rediscovering a lefty weapon. Furthermore, the fear of losing Lovelady again should not play such a significant role, because Lovelady could come back on waivers, as he has about half a dozen other times.
The team is trying to win every day and should build a team that has the best chance to win. David Stearns has shown that the bullpen has a revolving door, and it will likely take 20 to 30 different arms to survive the 162-game grind. But for now, Bryan Hudson is the logical choice to break camp with the big league club because he provides a little more upside.
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