New York Mets Sign Six-Year Veteran Free Agent Lefty

The New York Mets have added some depth to their bullpen, signing free agent left-handed hurler Richard Lovelady to a major league deal.

Free-agent pitcher Richard Lovelady and the New York Mets are in agreement on a major-league contract, sources say. Lovelady recently opted out of a minor-league contract with the Twins.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) June 23, 2025

Lovelady spent spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays and broke camp with the team, only to surrender four earned runs in one inning in his second appearance, prompting Toronto to designate him for assignment even before April arrived.

He hooked up with the Minnesota Twins on a minor league contract, but after 19 appearances at Triple-A in which he posted an impressive 1.31 ERA with a 22:7 strikeout to walk ratio, he decided to opt out of his minor league deal and become a free agent, as the Twins weren't ready to add him to the major league roster.

Turns out that peddling his services around the league with a 1.31 ERA worked wonders, as the Mets have brought him on board.

New York will be his sixth team in six major league seasons. Across 101 innings over that time, Lovelady has compiled a 5.26 ERA. However, last year, he fared pretty well with the Tampa Bay Rays after arriving there in May of 2024, posting a 3.77 ERA across 28 appearances with a 1.18 WHIP.

The 29-year-old lefty will look to get back to that kind of performance in the Mets bullpen.