If you thought watching A.J. Minter thrive in a Mets uniform was tough as an Atlanta Braves fan, the latest twist might feel like someone hit rewind on a bad breakup and somehow made it messier.
Let’s start from the top. Minter — a fan favorite, clubhouse rock, and postseason warrior from that magical 2021 World Series run — walked this offseason. And not just walked, but strutted right into the open arms of the New York Mets, the Braves’ baseball nemesis in the ever-chaotic NL East.
He took their money (a handsome $22 million over two years, mind you), their high-leverage innings, and for a hot minute, their hearts. And Braves fans? We watched from the outside, gritting our teeth while our bullpen coughed up leads like a ’90s lawnmower trying to start in the rain.
The Lefty That Got Away — Or So We Thought
Through 13 appearances, the lefty flamethrower was making Atlanta’s front office look like they’d whiffed big time. A 1.64 ERA? A 1.88 FIP? He wasn’t just good — he was better than any reliever in Atlanta.
And for a Mets bullpen that ranked 20th in ERA? Minter was the guy you wanted in a tie game, the bottom of the eighth, hostile crowd. Every Braves fan watching him slice through lineups was thinking, “Yeah, we could’ve used that.”
Injury Strikes and the Narrative Flips
But baseball has a cruel sense of timing. Saturday, Minter walks off the mound against the Nationals. Not with swagger — with a lat injury. Now it’s being called “pretty significant,” and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza didn’t sugarcoat it: surgery’s on the table. Season-ending surgery. Just like that, the Mets may have paid eight figures for 11 innings. From bargain to burden in less than a month.
Braves’ Reluctance Looks Like Wisdom in Hindsight
For Atlanta, it’s a twist of fate that feels a little too poetic. Minter left with questions about his health after a nagging hip injury in 2024, and the Braves, tight on payroll and already dealing with their own wounded bullpen, took the pragmatic path. Did it hurt? Of course. Did it make sense? Apparently yes.
It doesn’t make it easier to watch a guy like Minter — gutsy, fiery, and once so clutch in red and navy — hit a setback like this. But if there’s any silver lining for Braves fans, it’s this: the front office might have dodged a very expensive bullet, and those uncomfortable bullpen growing pains might be the price of playing the long game.
