Mets sportscaster draws attention to Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber's struggles against $22,000,000 star; offers verdict on the relief pitcher signing

Amid the uncertainty of a reunion with Pete Alonso, the New York Mets moved swiftly to add a crucial bullpen piece. The Mets reportedly signed A.J. Minter on a two-year deal worth $22 million on Friday.

The Mets were rumored to be on the lookout for a reliever ahead of Spring Training and Minter's signing adds a different dimension to the New York bullpen.

Although the veteran reliever has struggled with injuries in the last two seasons, most notably the hip injury that ended his season in August last year, Mets sportscaster Evan Roberts highlighted his efficiency against Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

On the WFAN's "Rico Brogna" podcast, Roberts said (9:20 onwards):

"Bryce Harper has been in the National League East his entire career. There's been a lot of A.J. Minter versus Bryce Harper. So logically you'd say, 'How does that match up look?' Here's how that matchup looks, Are you ready for this one? Bryce Harper is 2 for 17, seven strikeouts a .495 Ops. So in that sample size of 17 at-bats, AJ Minter has had the edge.

"The other big lefty you think about with Philadelphia is Kyle Schwarber. Kyle Schwarber is 1 for 15 against AJ Minter. So, two of the guys that we are likely to have to go through In winning this division or just winning enough games to make the postseason, A.J. Minter has a very good track record against."

Roberts praised the World Series winner with the Atlanta Braves as one of the most reliable relievers in MLB. He believes that despite being a lefty, Minter is strong against both left-handed and right-handed hitters, which is not the case with lefty specialists these days.

He gave his verdict on the signing, saying:

"The beauty of A.J. Minter, whether it's last year, whether it's his entire career, is that the splits are even. He is as tough against righties as he is against lefties. So what's very nice about a reliever and an addition like A.J. Minter is that him being a lefty is just yeah, he's a lefty. It's not the defining quality of him.

"So I love this move. I love this move in terms of length, it's a two-year deal. But if Minter has a great year, it's only a one-year deal."

Mets' reported target linked with Blue Jays after A.J. Minter deal

The Mets signed A.J. Minter, someone who has experience of pitching in the postseason, highlighted by his 25 innings in October with a 2.88 ERA and 36 strikeouts with hitters having .185 average against the lefty.

With another top reliever, Tanner Scott signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, Carlos Estevez is the top free agent reliever on the market. The Mets were rumored to be on Estevez earlier in the offseason but with Minter's signing, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as the top candidate for Estevez, with the Chicago Cubs reportedly being the second favorite for the former Phillies reliever.