NEW YORK -- The Mets are likely to spend much of this offseason collecting arms for their pitching staff. To that end, they¡¯re wasting little time.

Less than a day after the World Series ended, the Mets signed right-hander Dylan Covey to a one-year Major League contract. Covey was a Minor League free agent and thus not subject to the ¡°quiet period¡± after the World Series, which restricts teams from negotiating with MLB free agents outside their organization.

The move comes days after the Mets agreed to terms on a Minor League deal with another veteran reliever, Chris Devenski, which the club has not confirmed.

Covey, 33, was a fourth-round Draft pick and member of the White Sox rotation from 2017-19, before shoulder and back injuries began making a major impact on his career. Following two years spent overseas in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, Covey returned to the States, became a reliever and spent much of 2023 in the Majors. But he strained his pitching shoulder in March and didn¡¯t return until late July, eventually producing a 2.66 ERA over three levels in the Phillies organization.

Once recovered, Covey began running his slider up to 97 mph in the Minors, while also throwing a cutter, slider and splitter.

With the Mets, Covey will compete with what should be a long list of hopefuls for spots in the Opening Day bullpen. Outside of closer Edwin D¨ªaz, Covey is the only Mets reliever on a guaranteed contract. (The team will make a decision next week on Phil Maton¡¯s $7.75 million option.) Expect the Mets to sign multiple other relievers to big league deals, while also bringing in still more on Minor League contracts, trades and waiver claims.

Huascar Brazob¨¢n, Reed Garrett, Dedniel N¨²?ez, Eric Orze, Danny Young and Tyler Zuber are among those already on the 40-man roster who could also fit into New York¡¯s 2025 bullpen mix.