The Mets designated right-hander Luis Garcia for assignment on Tuesday and called up Joey Gerber from Triple-A to fill his spot on the active roster. Because Gerber was already on the 40-man roster, New York did not need to make any further moves.
Garcia’s stay in the Mets bullpen ended after a rough opening month and a half that produced a 7.11 ERA over 6 1/3 innings in six appearances. He signed a one-year, $1.75 million free agent deal in January, but the 39-year-old never found traction in New York, striking out 12.5% of the batters he faced while giving up two runs in one inning on Opening Day and three runs in one-third of an inning in Thursday’s 7-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.
The final blow came yesterday, when the Mets lost 11-6 to the A’s and used Garcia plus four other pitchers in relief of Kodai Senga, a game that stretched the bullpen thin and underscored how quickly the team moved on. Garcia exited with seven runs allowed over 2 1/3 innings in his latest stint, a.423 BABIP that suggested some poor luck but did not hide the results.
There was at least some logic behind the gamble. Garcia, in his 14th big league season and with the ninth MLB team of his career, posted a 3.42 ERA over 55 1/3 innings last year with the Dodgers, Nationals and Angels. He also brought a 53.9% career grounder rate and a sinker that averaged 96.9 mph in 2025, though it has sat at 94 mph this year. The Mets’ decision reflects both the need for a fresh bullpen arm and the lack of easy roster flexibility among relievers with minor league options.
For New York, the move turns a January bet into a costly miss. When the luxury-tax penalty is included, Garcia’s one-year deal carried a total price tag of $3.675 million, a steep number for a reliever who did not last long enough to settle into a role. Gerber gets the next look, and Garcia is left to wait for whatever comes after assignment.
