Mets acquire towering lefty reliever Bryan Hudson, hoping to recapture his 2024 dominance and bolster a thin bullpen.
The New York Mets have made another addition before spring training, trading for Chicago White Sox left-hander reliever Bryan Hudson on Tuesday. New York is sending cash back to Chicago in the deal.
Hudson’s presence on the mound is hard to miss, standing at six feet eight inches and 248 pounds. He spent 2025 split between the White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers, appearing in relief a total of 16 times.
In his 15 innings on the mound in the majors last season, Hudson allowed 15 hits, 13 walks, and struck out 19 batters. He recorded a 4.80 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, and 5.34 FIP over that time span.
Hudson played more in the minors than he did in the bigs in 2025, making 30 appearances in Triple-A, most of which came in the Brewers organization. In 25 innings with the Brewers' affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, Hudson struggled with a 6.84 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, prompting Milwaukee to waive the southpaw.
Ending up with the White Sox, Hudson posted a 5.79 ERA in his four major league appearances with the club. He was designated for assignment last week to make room for Chicago’s signing of outfielder Austin Hays. The Mets then swooped in to land the 28-year-old in exchange for cash on Tuesday afternoon.
Despite Hudson’s size, his four-seam fastball doesn’t have much whip on it, averaging out in the low 90s. Still, it’s his go-to pitch, complemented by his sweeper and mid 80s cutter. Though it didn’t work out well for him in 2025, Hudson was a huge bright spot in the Brewers' bullpen just a couple of seasons ago in 2024.
In 62 ⅓ innings pitched that year, Hudson posted a 1.73 ERA and 0.72 WHIP. He finished near the top of the league in expected ERA, expected batting average, strikeout percentage, and average exit velocity.
Though he has to prove himself once again after a big step back in 2025, the Mets could reap the benefits of trading for Hudson. After losing key bullpen pieces like Edwin Diaz, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, and Gregory Soto, taking the risk on Hudson could pay off big time for the Mets and their need for depth in their bullpen.
Hudson’s acquisition is made even more valuable with New York’s need for a lefty out of the bullpen if A.J. Minter isn't ready for Opening Day. Brooks Raley is the only left-hander other than Minter that the Mets can choose from heading into pitchers and catchers start their camp workouts.