NEW YORK -- In the first of several anticipated moves to unload veterans before Monday's trade deadline, the New York Mets sent left-handed reliever A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins for two minor leaguers, the teams announced Friday.
The Mets received infielders Bruin Agbayani, son of their former outfielder Benny Agbayani, and Billy Amick in return.
By acquiring Minter, who is slated to hit free agency this offseason, the Twins bolster a relief corps that has ranked among the worst in the majors this season as Minnesota makes a postseason push. Despite the bullpen's struggles, the Twins entered Friday just a game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League wild-card spot and trailing the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central by three games thanks to an offense that has scored the most runs in the AL.
"We said that we were going to go out, we were going to buy, we were going to be aggressive in that market," Twins manager Derek Shelton said. "I think [general manager Jeremy Zoll] has kind of done that at the front end of it, and there's still three days left."
Minter, 32, who missed most of the 2025 season after suffering a lat muscle tear that required surgery, made his 2026 season debut in late May. He has a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings across 23 appearances despite a dip in velocity. Last season, his fastball averaged 94.5 mph in 11 innings before the injury. This season, it's down to 93 mph. His strikeout rate has also dropped from 32.6% to 21.7%.
Before the 2025 season, the Mets signed Minter to a two-year, $22 million contract with a player option for 2026. He was a key contributor during eight seasons with the Braves, posting a 3.28 ERA in 348⅔ innings, and was a member of Atlanta's 2021 World Series championship team.
"He is playoff tested. He is proven," Shelton said. "When you do the background on the human being, you find really good stuff."
Minnesota selected Bruin Agbayani, 19, in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of high school in Hawai'i. He has been limited to 10 games this season -- and none since May 12 -- because of a shoulder injury.
"It means a lot," Benny Agbayani said on a conference call Friday afternoon. "He wanted to get drafted by the Mets when he was first coming out of high school. That's all he knew. That's all Dad talked about. It's a great opportunity for him, and I'm just going to support him as much as I can."
The Alomars (father Sandy Sr. and sons Roberto and Sandy Jr.) and Wilsons (father Mookie and stepson Preston) are the only father-son combos to play for the Mets.
"It's great to have him wearing a Mets jersey and continuing the legacy," Benny Agbayani said.
Amick, 23, is batting .217 with 23 home runs and an .820 OPS in 86 games at Double-A. He was taken in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Tennessee.
Trading Minter signals the beginning of a deluge of moves the Mets are expected to make by Monday evening's trade deadline. In addition to Minter, the Mets likely will trade fellow left-handed reliever and impending free agent Brooks Raley, who acknowledged the reality after tossing 1⅔ scoreless innings in New York's 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
"The organization's been great to me, and hopefully we get back out there for another one in the next couple of days," Raley said. "Enjoyed my time here and thankful for the guys."
The Mets, who are last in the National League East after entering the season with World Series aspirations, are expected to unload several other impending free agents, including right-handed starters Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta, in addition to players with club control beyond 2026.
The Mets scratched Peralta, Friday's scheduled starter, because interim manager Andy Green said trade talks have intensified. Kodai Senga drew the start instead.
"It just became a prudent path for us," Green said. "There's enough going on right now."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.