The Mets are adding more depth to their pitching staff, signing right-handed pitcher Bryce Conley to a minor league deal, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Conley, 31, has a 4.53 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over seven big league seasons, jumping back and forth between starting and relieving.
He worked mainly as a starter last season in the Nationals' system across 118.2 innings in Double-A and Triple-A.
Regardless of what role the Mets choose for him, Conley would seem to be ticketed for the minors to start the season.
The Mets are deciding whether to open the year with a five- or six-man starting rotation, which will be dictated in part by health.
Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga are the six main starters, with Christian Scott and Jonah Tong also in the mix.
Tobias Myers, who can start and relieve, is stretching out as a starter. His role is to be determined, but Carlos Mendozasaid on Wednesday that he will be on the team if healthy.
When it comes to the bullpen competition, there are four locks, health-dependent: Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley,and Luis Garcia.
Craig Kimbrel is in camp on a minor league deal, and it stands to reason that he'll have an inside track to make the team if his stuff looks good.
Other competitors for a spot in the bullpen include Bryan Hudson, Huascar Brazoban, Adbert Alzolay, Dylan Ross, Ryan Lambert, and Jonathan Pintaro.