Mets’ Deadline Acquisition Makes Startling Admission About Career

One of the Mets' newest players' last few months is worthy of a blockbuster movie.

Jun 4, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Tyler Zuber (53) talks with team mates in the dugout before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets’ least attention-grabbing trade deadline move was their acquisition of reliever Tyler Zuber from the Tampa Bay Rays. 

This has nothing to do with Zuber’s talent or his chances of helping the Mets; rather, the 29-year-old is a relatively unknown name because, until last month, he hadn't pitched in MLB since 2021.

But Zuber is sure to become a Mets fan favorite after they learn of how he reached this point. 

An August 2 article from The Athletic’s Will Sammon explained how Zuber was on the verge of retirement just a few months ago. 

“Emotionally, Zuber said, he was just about done with baseball at that point. A sixth-round pick of Kansas City in 2017, Zuber made 54 appearances for the Royals over 2020-21 before they put him on waivers in 2022,” Sammon wrote. 

“He bounced from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Cleveland Guardians without ever making an appearance for either organization. After several poor outings in spring training earlier this year, the Guardians released him in late March.”

“I was a couple days away from calling it quits,” Zuber said in the article. “I was very upset with baseball. After I was released, it all kind of just exploded in my face. I was over baseball. Forget baseball. I was like, ‘This game stinks. My kids will never play.’” 

Despite these seemingly dire straits, Zuber kept training and didn't allow his self-belief to waver.
After his agent told him that no MLB teams were interested in his services a few months back, the reliever decided to sign with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

Upon joining the Ducks, Zuber “forgot about playing for a paycheck and focused on having fun", but he wouldn't be there for long. After posting a 1.59 ERA with two saves and 10 strikeouts in six games (5 2. innings), both the Mets and the Rays came calling.

Zuber signed with Tampa Bay, was assigned to their Triple-A squad, amassed a 2.49 ERA in 21.2 innings with 29 strikeouts, got called up, then made his Rays debut on July 22, 2024 — his first MLB appearance in three years. 

The Mets hadn’t forgotten about Zuber, despite his signing elsewhere. President of baseball operations David Stearns said that he'd been trying to acquire him for weeks before ultimately agreeing to a deal with Tampa Bay two hours before the trade deadline. 

While Zuber was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, he’ll play a part in the Mets’ bullpen plans moving forward. 

When asked about this crazy journey, Zuber said, “I’m thankful, to be honest. I would not have changed anything that has happened at all because it has made me a whole lot better person, better pitcher, completely different mindset and outlook on things than I ever could have imagined. So I’m thankful for everything that happened.”

Mets fans are hoping this Hollywood-worthy story will end with Zuber becoming a key piece in their bullpen.