The New York Mets have officially brought back 36-year-old journeyman pitcher Robert Stock on a one-year Major League contract. Stock signed with the Mets during the 2025 offseason on a minor league contract and missed a good amount of time this past season due to surgery that was needed to address his arterial thoracic outlet syndrome.
Aug 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Robert Stock (89) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Stock made a few rehab starts before the team selected his contract and brought him up on August 2nd for the rest of the season. He was used as both a reliever and a starter during those last few months of the season. The question for the Mets is: how will Stock be used by the 2027 Mets?
Mets Re-Sign Robert Stock: How He Might Be Used
In 2026, Stock made eight appearances for the franchise. Seven appearances were as a starter and one as a reliever. Overall, Stock posted a 1-3 record in those appearances with a 5.93 ERA. He gave up 20 earned runs through 30 1/3 innings. He won’t be put in a rotation with the likes of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton. He wasn’t great, but the assumption behind this signing is that it is just for depth and nothing more.
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Now, this is not to say Stock won’t be used, of course. He could be used out of the pen if need be and could be used to eat up some innings in blowout games. He may also get some time if injuries start to build up, as we have seen in the past with the Mets (especially this past season). It is highly unlikely that he is used as part of the rotation, though, and it will be interesting to see how good a spring training he has to see if he ends up solidifying a spot in the Mets bullpen.
Stock Could Be a Low-Risk, High-Reward Signing
The Stock signing isn’t the highlight of the Mets offseason. It is not the big signing they are making for the winter; it is simply to have extra pitchers for the roster. However, this does not mean Stock can’t provide for the team next season. In four of his seven starts last season, he pitched four innings and allowed just one or zero runs in those starts. Stock has certainly shown he is capable of being some help to this pitching group, and he will be ready whenever his number is called.
Another key stat for Stock was the opponent’s batting average with RISP and two outs. He held opponents to a .133 average last season in those situations. He has shown he is not afraid of tough spots, and he should be helpful for a Mets bullpen that has a few question marks at the moment. If it doesn’t work out for Stock, the Mets can always look to DFA him if need be.
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The Last Word
Re-signing Stock shows that the Mets are still focused on depth just as much as they are focused on improving the team. Stearns will continue to make these small signings throughout the offseason in case the big signings don’t occur for the team. It remains to be seen who the team will acquire this offseason, as they have interest in Teruaki Sato, Tarik Skubal, Ty France, and Paul Goldschmidt, among others.
One thing that remains true is the Mets will have plenty of depth come next season, and Stock is the first of many to be signed for 2027. Only time will tell how much of an impact Stock will have next season and how much playing time he will actually get.
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Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
