Mets sign righty reliever Dylan Covey to 1-year deal

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 Díaz, 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 Brazobán, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez, 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.