NEW YORK — The Mets made their first trade of the offseason on Tuesday, acquiring right-handed reliever Joey Gerber from the Rays for cash, according to a source. The team has not confirmed the deal.
Gerber, 28, spent most of last season at Tampa Bay’s Triple-A Durham affiliate, producing a 6.23 ERA with 54 strikeouts over 43 1/3 innings. He has 19 games of big league experience with the Rays and Mariners, including two last season. Gerber is largely a fastball-slider pitcher, with a four-seamer that tops out in the mid- to upper 90s.
Importantly for the Mets, Gerber has an accessible Minor League option, meaning the team can shuttle him back and forth between the Majors and Minors without penalty.
Gerber is one of the initial pieces of a bullpen overhaul that should include more established names as the offseason progresses. The Mets on Tuesday also exercised Brooks Raley’s $4.75 million team option to return, while A.J. Minter exercised his $11 million player option. Earlier this offseason, the Mets signed depth pieces Richard Lovelady and Joe Jacques.
