Mets Add 31-Year-Old RHP Bryce Conley on Minor-League Deal for Triple-A Depth

The New York Mets agreed to terms with right-hander Bryce Conley on a minor-league contract, a move aimed at bolstering Triple-A pitching depth and adding a long-relief and spot-start option behind the club’s projected rotation. The agreement was reported Feb. 19 via a Will Sammon tweet and the signing was announced by the Mets, with coverage carried by Sports Illustrated and other outlets.

Conley, 31 and listed at 6-foot-3, was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 22nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft, the 651st overall pick. Sporting News notes he bounced around the A’s farm system through 2023 and spent last season in the Washington Nationals organization, pitching for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester.

On the field in 2025 Conley logged 118.2 innings and 107 strikeouts, with Sporting News reporting 22 starts, a 5.01 ERA, 43 walks, and a 1.29 WHIP. SI’s recap states he pitched in 23 games between Harrisburg and Rochester, a pair of figures that can coexist as 23 appearances with 22 starts. Sporting News also recorded a Double-A stretch that included eight starts and an unusual six-inning early-ended outing in which Conley allowed five hits and three runs and was charged with the loss.

Across his minor-league career Sporting News lists 160 games and 76 starts with a 4.53 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, and explicitly states Conley is yet to make his MLB debut. A Yahoo report contains conflicting wording that the 4.53 ERA and 1.36 WHIP came “over seven big league seasons.” The two attributions differ on service time; Sporting News frames those numbers as minor-league totals while Yahoo’s copy assigns them to big league service.

Analysts and aggregators framed Conley as a low-risk depth addition. SI wrote that “Conley could be a nice fit for the Mets’ organizational mantra of recruiting and revitalizing pitchers that other teams have written off.” SI added that “He comes with the benefit of being already stretched out as a starter last season, making him an ideal candidate for spot starts later in the year,” and observed that “With six healthy starting pitchers essentially locked into the rotation, the Mets will likely take a look at Conley for a long relief role out of the bullpen.” FantasyPros summarized the move succinctly: “Conley will add relief depth in the Mets organization. He'll compete for a depth role in spring training.” Sporting News called him “a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency pitcher” who can provide experience in the minors.

The move arrives into a crowded Mets pitching landscape. Yahoo’s roundup lists Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga as the six main starters cited, with Christian Scott and Jonah Tong also in the mix. Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Luis Garcia are described as bullpen locks, while Craig Kimbrel is in camp on a minor-league deal and other depth arms such as Bryan Hudson, Huascar Brazoban, Adbert Alzolay, Dylan Ross, Ryan Lambert, and Jonathan Pintaro are competing for innings. Yahoo also notes Tobias Myers is stretching out as a starter and that manager Carlos Mendoza said Myers will be on the team if healthy.

From a business and cultural angle the Conley signing fits a growing industry pattern: teams signing veteran minor-league pitchers on low-cost deals to protect against the season’s attrition while pursuing October runs. SI summed that “stockpiling durable arms is never a bad strategy to have” for a club with recent pitching injuries, and the Mets clearly view Conley as “a low-risk way of adding positional depth to their system.” Conley’s path from a 22nd round pick to a 31-year-old organizational depth piece underscores the persistent role veteran minor-leaguers play in sustaining Triple-A rosters and in providing emergency bridge options for big-league clubs.

Conley is expected to report to camp and compete in spring training for a depth role; most outlets project he will begin the year in the minors while remaining available for spot starts or long relief if the Mets need innings.