The Mets are currently ranked 3rd in the NL East with a 7-7 record. Same as the last season, their offense is failing to fire up, and the bullpen is blowing up chances. So, it called for some drastic decisions from the manager, Carlos Mendoza, and here it is. And a recent roster move has sparked fan outrage, but the anger isn’t directed at the player who was cut.

Despite having some of the worst performers on the team, the Mets chose pitcher Richard Lovelady to make way for veteran Craig Kimbrel. However, in between these moves, the Mets’ other arm, Luis Garcia, was caught in the crossfire between the fans and the front office.

“We have made the following roster moves,” the Mets shared via X about designating Lovelady for assignment and calling up Kimbrel in his place.

Well, Lovelady is having a moderate stint this year. In 7.1 innings with the Mets since Opening Day this year, he has a 3.68 ERA and a 4.92 FIP. On the other hand, in 10.0 innings with the Mets last year, he had a 6.30 ERA and a 6.74 FIP. So, surely there’s nothing special about Lovelady to retain him, but how the Mets dealt with the 30-year-old is what makes this DFA special.

 

Lovelady reportedly first landed in New York in June last year, and they’ve now designated him for assignment five times in less than a year! Despite having DFA’d him three times during the 2025 season, the Mets signed Lovelady to a major league deal in late October. And again, they DFA’d him in January to make way for infielder Vidal Brujan!

With such a trend, fans wonder what exactly the Mets’ plan is with him.

However, one can’t argue with the Mets’ move to call up veteran Kimbrel. With tons of experience, the 37-year-old has a career 2.58 ERA. In 2024, he struggled with the Orioles with a 5.33 ERA, but might have enough gas left for one last run with the Mets.

Now, with all these moves happening in New York, the fans wonder why the Mets found Lovelady to DFA when more names are worse than him. As per the fans, the 39-year-old Luis Garcia tops the list. The Mets signed Garcia to add bullpen depth, but till now, he looks terrible. The league is batting .385 off Garcia, who has an 8.44 ERA in five appearances.

So, with the Mets having DFA’d Lovelady to make room for Kimbrel, Garcia is taking the heat out of nowhere.

Fans call out the Mets for their roster decision

Is an 8.44 ERA better than a 3.68 ERA? Fans wonder. “Lovelady is the man. Should have punted Garcia,” one fan said. “Lovelady was way better than Garcia if we’re being honest,” another added.

Last year was turbulent for Garcia as he juggled between the Dodgers, Nationals, and Angels. He finished the year with a 3.42 ERA in 55.1 innings of work between three teams. However, while the ERA looks moderate, his velocity went south this year. His sinker is currently averaging 93.9 mph, compared to 96.9 mph last year. In contrast, Lovelady is 9 years younger than Garcia and had a 1.66 ERA in the minors last year.

So, fans are left wondering why the Mets chose Lovelady and not Garcia.

“Garcia has been less effective, but they’re both the last 2 guys,” another user remarked. “Rather have seen it be Luis Garcia, but ok.” Fans are all against Garcia despite acknowledging that Lovelady offered nothing extraordinary for the team.

The Mets’ bullpen is repeating their 2025 story. Last Thursday, their bullpen imploded in the late innings, allowing seven runs over the seventh and eighth frames as the Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Mets 7-1. Fans wonder if Garcia, who is standing with an 8.44 ERA, could help this bullpen group anymore.

“Yeah. That should help the offense,” one fan shared another concern.

So, while the Mets are making moves to enhance their defense, their offense, despite having a star-studded lineup, is still reeling under pressure. And with Juan Soto on the injured list, big-name hitters who aren’t producing are in the spotlight. The Mets scored only three runs in these last three games. They will enter play on Saturday riding a 17-inning scoreless drought.

Hence, fans are skeptical whether the latest roster moves by the Mets will make any change or not.

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