Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets and right-hander Adam Ottavino have reached an agreement on a one-year, $4.5MM contract. The agreement is contingent on a physical, Sherman continues.
Ottavino will play for Queens for a third season in a row thanks to the agreement, which was made just months after the right-hander turned down the team’s $6.75MM player option. During a podcast appearance earlier this week, Ottavino talked about his choice to turn down that option. The 38-year-old veteran stated unequivocally that, despite his love for the Mets organization, he was concerned about the club’s future at the time due to their precarious managerial situation and rumors that they intended to regress during the 2024 season. Ottavino stated that he hopes to win a World Series before his career ends, so he wasn’t drawn to that kind of situation.
The club has continued to be active in the trade market and at the lower echelons of free agency since Ottavino’s decision to test the open market. Along with infielder Joey Wendle, the club added outfielders Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor to strengthen its hitting corps, and added Jorge Lopez to bolster the bullpen. The biggest moves are in the starting rotation, where the Mets added Adrian Houser, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino to the rotation along with veteran pitchers Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana. Those additions, along with the hiring of former Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as manager, seem to have given Ottavino the confidence in New York’s chances in 2024 necessary for him to re-sign with the club.
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