The New York Mets kicked off their offseason activity on Friday afternoon by securing a familiar face for their pitching staff. Right-hander Robert Stock has signed a one-year major league deal to return to Queens after making several appearances with the team during the latter half of last season. The move appears to be a strategic effort to inject some seasoned leadership into a rotation that is increasingly leaning on youth, specifically prospects like Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton.
On paper, the decision is an easy target for critics. At 36 years old, Stock struggled through limited action last year, posting a lackluster 5.93 ERA across just over thirty innings of work. Even more concerning was his availability, as he spent the first five months of the campaign recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. Because of these red flags regarding both performance and durability, the signing earns a modest C plus grade for those looking strictly at the statistics.
However, there is a silver lining if you dig deeper into how Stock actually performed when he was healthy. During his seven starts last year, he managed multiple outings where he gave up one or zero earned runs and looked particularly sharp against the Tampa Bay Rays in late August. He also displayed impressive poise under pressure, holding opponents to a meager .133 average with runners in scoring position and two outs, all while keeping hard contact to a minimum.
Ultimately, this isn’t the blockbuster acquisition many Mets fans were hoping for to erase the memory of another disappointing season. Still, bringing back Stock serves as a pragmatic way to shore up a shaky bullpen with someone capable of eating innings as a long reliever. By opting for this low risk approach, New York gains valuable veteran depth without committing too much capital before seeing how their younger arms develop in spring training.