Mets bring back reliever Smith, their longest-tenured pitcher (sources)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla -- When reliever Drew Smith tore the UCL in his right elbow last June, he expressed profound sadness at the idea that he may have thrown his final pitch for the Mets.

Turns out he needn¡¯t have worried. The Mets on Wednesday agreed to terms with Smith on a one-year deal with a club option for 2026, according to multiple sources, opening the possibility that he can remain part of their bullpen in future seasons. The club has not confirmed the deal.

Smith underwent a hybrid Tommy John procedure with an internal brace last July and will be sidelined for most or all of this season. But he should be back on the mound by Opening Day 2026.

¡°Great guy,¡± Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. ¡°This is a guy that, when healthy, takes the ball. It¡¯s sad that he went down the way he went down, but it means a lot to the guys in the locker room. Again, this is a guy that takes the baseball, gives you multiple innings, gives you high-leverage innings. It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s a gamer.¡±

Returning to New York allows Smith to retain his title as the longest-tenured Mets pitcher and second-longest-tenured Met overall, after outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Coming to the Mets in a 2017 trade from the Rays for Lucas Duda, Smith debuted the following season before undergoing his first Tommy John operation in 2018.

Following a brief return during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Smith became a cog of the Mets bullpen from 2021-24, ranking third in appearances behind Adam Ottavino and Edwin D¨ªaz. Smith compiled a 3.35 ERA over that stretch, with 177 strikeouts in 161 1/3 innings.

He will become one of three pitchers rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in Mets camp, joining Christian Scott and Adbert Alzolay. Alzolay, like Smith, is expected to miss all of 2025 but could be a bullpen factor the following season.