The New York Mets will be seeking some pitching staff additions after a disappointing season ended without a playoff berth, but first it looks like they are clearing some room.
Earlier this week, the team made the tough decision to release veteran starter Frankie Montas, eating the $17 million he is owed for next season. And now it has cut ties with a reliever in order to clear even more roster space.
On Thursday, the team non-tendered and then released reliever Danny Young after he endured a significant injury during the season, per Spotrac.
“Young, 32, underwent Tommy John surgery in May,” Darragh McDonald wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “Young has under two years of service time and has not yet qualified for arbitration, so the Mets won’t be saving any money by making this move. However, they have a full 40-man roster. There’s no injured list in the offseason, so Young would have to stay on the 40-man all through the winter if they wanted to keep him into next year.”
Young posted a 4.32 ERA in 10 games with the Mets this past season, after appearing in 42 games and posting a 4.54 ERA in 2024. The Mets might have opted to keep him had he not suffered his injury, but it seems he is heading toward a recovery and should have a chance to rejoin the big leagues with a new team next season.
“He recently started throwing and is on pace to return at some point in the first half of 2026,” Mets insider Will Sammon reported on X.
Though the Mets don’t want to hold injured players on their 40-man roster as they look to add some talent this winter, the team is hardly in a position to shed potential contributors from the pitching staff. The team suffered a range of injuries among relievers and starters and will be looking to bring in some arms that can replace Young and more.
Former major league reliever Adam Ottavino, who pitched for the Mets for three seasons, recently criticized the team for its inability to protect its relief pitchers from injury.
It’s possible the Mets will be looking to re-sign Young after deciding to release him, but he’ll also have the chance to evaluate offers from other teams. He has previously pitched for the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves in his career and virtually every team could use some additional relief depth ahead of next season.