When Minter was mulling his offseason choice of team, he saw Raley in Texas. They are longtime acquaintances via their shared alma mater, Texas A&M. Raley, who was also a free agent after pitching for the Mets the past two seasons, put in a strong recommendation.

New York Mets setup man A.J. Minter is dealing with a serious lat injury that may require season-ending surgery.

New York Mets reliever A.J. Minter will miss significant time and is considering season-ending surgery after sustaining a left lat strain, manager Carlos Mendoza said on Tuesday. Minter said he was gathering information from doctors reviewing his injury.