Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and attending St. John’s University in Queens, John Franco embodied a New Yorker. It was only apt that Franco would ultimately pitch for his beloved childhood team, the New York Mets.

Franco, 64, was a four-time All-Star and a reliable arm in the backend of the bullpen. During his 21-year Major League career, Franco made at least 50 appearances 14 times, recorded 30+ saves eight times, and rose to the occasion in the postseason, posting a 1.88 ERA with a 0.977 WHIP over 15 career games.

The left-hander was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the 1981 Draft. It was with the Dodgers organization that Franco started to develop his bread-and-butter pitch: the changeup.

Two years later, Franco was on the move to Cincinnati, where the Reds fully transitioned Franco from the starting rotation to the bullpen.

Over his first six big league seasons (all with the Reds), Franco appeared in 393 games and posted a 2.49 ERA with 148 saves. Only two pitchers recorded more appearances during that span (Craig Lefferts, 416; Kent Tekulve, 403). Since the earned run became an official stat in both leagues in 1913, only four pitchers have appeared in 350+ games while posting a sub-2.50 ERA in their first six seasons: Tim Burke, Brad Ziegler, Craig Kimbrel and Franco.

During the 1989 Winter Meetings, the Reds matched up with the New York Mets in a trade that sent Kip Gross and Randy Myers to the Reds, with minor league outfielder Don Brown and Franco heading to the Mets.

Franco was coming home.

In his fourteen seasons with the Mets, Franco appeared in 695 regular season games and saved 276 games (both franchise records). In 2001, Franco became the third captain in team history, joining Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter.

Franco provided the Mets with many memorable moments, from striking out Barry Bonds with a 3-2 changeup in Game 2 of the 2000 National League Division Series to being the winning pitcher in the first game back after the September 11 terrorist attacks to a memorable commercial appearance for the defunct retailer The Wiz.

Among all-time pitchers, Franco ranks third in games pitched (1,119), seventh in saves (424) and in a three-way tie for 22nd in ERA+ (138). Franco and Billy Wagner are the only left-handed pitchers with more than 400 saves.

I had the privilege of speaking to Franco, where he discussed developing his signature changeup, striking out Barry Bonds in Game 2 of the 2000 National League Division Series, and the role Franco’s father played in his development.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Franco: My favorite players were Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw, Tommie Agee and that whole ’69 Mets team.

I loved Ron Guidry because he was a little left-handed pitcher like me.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start focusing on pitching?

Franco: I played shortstop up until 13, and then played center field and first base. Mostly around 13-14 [is when] I started pitching a lot.

MMO: What do you remember from your summer playing in the Cape Cod League?

Franco: That Ron Darling was my roommate and Dan Marino was our shortstop, but he left right before I got there. I think he made a good choice to go play football.

Playing in the Cape was a great experience. Not every college player gets the opportunity, and back then it was the highest level of college baseball.

MMO: What are your memories from the 1981 MLB Draft? Were the Los Angeles Dodgers on your radar?

Franco: I can tell you that the Dodgers were always a team that invited me to their tryouts. They always had their local tryouts at Poly Prep High School; that’s where my two older children went to school. The Dodgers were always there and they would invite me, along with the Baltimore Orioles’ scout named Al Goldis. The Dodgers’ scouts were Steve Lembo and Gil Bassetti. Those were the guys who gave me an opportunity and invited me to the tryouts.

I didn’t know I was going to get drafted by them, but I was happy that I did.

MMO: At what point did you start tinkering with your changeup? And is it true that Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax played a role?

Franco: Absolutely. When I was in the Instructional League with the Dodgers, Sandy Koufax, Dave Wallace – who’s my favorite pitching coach of all time – and Larry Sherry, our minor league coordinator, helped me develop that changeup.

When I got traded to Cincinnati, there was a left-handed relief pitcher named Freddy Norman, who had a circle change. I picked his brain a little bit. And then I picked the brain of Mario Soto, who had probably the best changeup in baseball back in the eighties.

One of the guys I sat and learned so much about pitching and how to act was Tom Hume. He was one of my favorite teammates in Cincinnati. He was one of the veterans who took me under his wing. I still keep in contact with him to this day.

MMO: You mentioned Dave Wallace. In previous interviews, you’ve heaped a ton of praise on him for your development. What specifically did Wallace do to help you?

Franco: I can tell you when I was pitching with the Dodgers in a couple of minor league games, and in one particular game, I was getting ahead in the count but wasn’t striking guys out. Dave called time, came to the mound, and had a lot of choice words for me which I can’t say. [Laughs.] That kind of put a lightbulb on, and I thought, you know, this isn’t college anymore. He kind of straightened me out and made me realize to stop acting like a fool and just concentrate on pitching.

I owe him a lot of credit for my maturity and development. Fast forward, and he became the pitching coach with the Mets, so it was great coming full circle.

MMO: At what point did they ask you to transition to the pen?

Franco: I was a starter in the minor leagues with the Dodgers. In ’81, I got drafted, and then in ’82 I went from A-ball to Triple-A because one of their pitchers got hurt. I later went down to Double-A and then the following year I went to Triple-A Albuquerque, and they moved me to the bullpen there.

I got traded to Cincinnati and I went back to starting. They had a number one draft pick named Ron Robinson, who eventually became one of my best friends and roommate with Cincinnati. He was a starter and and they moved me to the bullpen.

My initial thoughts were it sucked because I always thought I’d make it as a starter, but [relieving] was the quickest way to get to the big leagues. I had the type of arm that could throw almost every day. As a starter, I wasn’t a big guy, but I was a full-energy guy, and by the sixth I used to get tired. Career-wise, I think it was probably the best move. Whoever thought of that in the Reds organization, I owe them a lot of credit!

MMO: What were your initial reactions when you heard you were being traded to the Mets in December 1989?

Franco: I was kind of shocked. That winter, the Cincinnati general manager called me because they wanted to give me a three year extension, and asked what I’d be looking for. I said, ‘I haven’t talked to my agent.’ I saw some stuff in the papers back home saying the Yankees were really interested in me.

A week later, the GM for the Reds called me again and said Lou Piniella, who became the new manager, wanted to meet and have lunch. That was about a week before the winter meetings.

The winter meetings came, and I got a phone call saying I was traded to New York. I just assumed it was the Yankees. About ten minutes later, I got a call from Joe McIlvaine, who was the GM of the Mets, so I knew it was them.

I was very, very happy. I mean, I would’ve been happy for the Yankees, too, because it would still mean pitching back home. But the Mets were the team I grew up rooting for.

MMO: I’m sure you received a ton of ticket requests once you came back home to pitch.

Franco: I had a lot of cousins that I didn’t know I had! [Laughs.]

I had two phone lines at my house: one for family and one for friends. My wife, Rose, did a great job in handling the ticket situation. I always told everyone we’re home for 81 games, everybody can’t come to the same games, but pick and choose the ones you want to go to.

MMO: Can you share the reason why you wore the orange undershirt underneath your jersey?

Franco: I wore the shirt in honor of my father, who was a sanitation worker. My dad was my buddy, my best friend.

My dad didn’t like to fly. When I was attending St. John’s, we went to the World Series in Omaha. My brother, Jerry, and my dad were driving and the car broke down in Pennsylvania, so they had to turn back and miss it. But all through the minor leagues, he drove to Florida, Texas, etc.

When I had bad games, I’d call him up, and he would just make me feel good. He would tell me to put things in perspective, that I still have an opportunity, and turn the page on this one and focus on the next game. He never got mad, never yelled. Even when I was playing in high school and college, he was always away from the other parents. He stayed down the line and kept to himself. People would ask him, “Don’t you talk about your son?” He’d say, “No, I let my son do the talking between the lines.” That’s how he was.

He always demanded respect for the game; don’t disrespect baseball. He didn’t believe in booing players. My brother and I would go to games with him and even if the team was playing badly, you didn’t boo the guys. He loved baseball and he was a very important part of my life and development.

MMO: I assume your father was the person who introduced you to baseball.

Franco: He was. I also had an older brother; he passed away about a year and a half ago, and he was five years older than me. I owe him a lot of credit because we used to play games against each other and he’d beat my butt! But it made me more of a competitor, and as I got bigger and stronger, I started beating him. I owe him a lot of credit for my competitiveness, that’s for sure.

MMO: As a reliever, you need to have a short memory and be able to bounce-back after a tough game. How would you specifically handle those situations? Were you someone who utilized any visualization techniques?

Franco: There were a couple of visualization techniques that I used. Mentally, you had to be tough; you had to have a short-term memory. I used to compare a closer to a field goal kicker; if you save 15 in a row, everyone knows you. But the one you blow is the one they remember. A field goal kicker can make ten in a row, and when he misses, that’s the one they’ll remember.

It used to bother me more because I blew the saves of guys like Al Leiter, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton or Bobby Jones, and they pitched their tails off and I come in for one inning and blow it for them. Those guys worked their tails off for seven-eight innings. That’s what bothered me most about blowing a save.

It would stick with me for a night. I used to watch the replays on ESPN and look to see where the pitch location was. I would try to visualize and do better next time. The good thing about being a relief pitcher was you could get in there the next day and save a game instead of blowing it.

MMO: You pitched both out of the windup and from the stretch at various points throughout your career. Was that more of a feel-thing for you, or were the specific reasons behind those choices?

Franco: When I first came up, it was mostly out of the windup because I was a middle relief/setup man with Cincinnati until I took over [the closer role]. And then my first year or two with the Mets, I was out of the windup. I realized coming into the game there’s less margin of error, and it’s more compact for me being in the stretch rather than the windup.

MMO: One of the lasting memories Mets fans have of you is when you struck out Barry Bonds looking on a 3-2 changeup in the bottom of the tenth in Game 2 of the 2000 N.L.D.S. For your career, you held Bonds to a .229 batting average and a .568 OPS over 39 regular-season plate appearances (and 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in the postseason). Did you have a specific game plan and pitch selection when facing Bonds?

Franco: Barry and I had the same agent, so I knew Barry for a while. I used to tell him, ‘You’re the greatest hitter, I don’t know how I get you out.’ He would always tell me that if he hit a home run against me he’d run around the bases backwards. [Laughs.]

We had some friendly competition, and he came close one time; he hit one off the wall. I really liked the challenge, and Barry was very challenging. You’d throw him fastballs and sliders; I never threw him a changeup until that playoff game.

I talked to John Olerud, who was our first baseman and a great left-handed hitter, and I asked him what the toughest pitch to hit off a lefty was. He said a changeup, so I put that in the back of my mind.

In that particular game against the Giants, I threw a 3-1 fastball that Barry fouled straight back. If he would’ve hit it, that would’ve landed in Oakland. [Mike] Piazza kept putting the fastball sign down, and I kept shaking him off. I had a base open and I decided if I walk him, fine; if not, I’ll take a chance with it. Just so happens, I threw a 3-2 changeup for a strike and got him out.

I think the next time I faced him in that series, he was looking for it (changeup), but I got him with a high fastball. We had some good battles.

MMO: Who are some hitters who gave you the most trouble during your career?

Franco: At the top of the list, and I think he gave everyone trouble, was Tony Gwynn. Then there were hitters like Mariano Duncan and Bob Dernier, who were more contact hitters.

I really didn’t have too much of an issue with the big home run hitters, it was the contact guys. Gwynn was just amazing, no matter what you threw him he hit it. I got to the point where I’d just throw it down the middle and hope he hit a line drive at somebody.

MMO: What did it mean to be named the third captain in Mets history? Were there any additional responsibilities you took on?

Franco: Not really. It was a great honor to be shown the respect from my teammates and the organization.

As a captain, if guys had a bad day, you’d go up to them and talk. Some might’ve had off-the-field problems that you might be able to help them with. When the team was going bad, you’d call team meetings. If we needed guys to relax and there was too much media in the locker room, I’d say, ‘We’re having a meeting,’ and Jay [Horwitz] would clear them out.

Jay would ask me, “What time’s the meeting?” I’d say, ‘There’s no meeting. I just want guys to relax.’ I tried to be a leader and lead by example on and off the field.

MMO: You’re third all-time in regular season pitching appearances with 1,119 games. Do you take pride in your place on that leaderboard?

Franco: It means a lot. I love the game and I love to play. Being a reliever is almost like being an everyday player. I had a great opportunity to do what I did for a long time.

MMO: Playing 21 years in the majors, and racking up the number of games that you did surely took a toll on your body. What would you do stay in shape?

Franco: The difference, I think, between players now and when I played is once the season’s over, guys today seem to take a week off and then they go right into throwing. I think that puts strain on their arms. I did a lot of weight training, and when I got closer to spring training, I cut my training in half in terms of weight and always did cardio and core. I ate well and my wife is in great shape too, and she made sure I ate well. I think there are too many gadgets now and gurus with these instructions and workouts. I think that adds a lot to these injuries.

I used to play basketball and throw the football around, and that was part of my workout. I’ll tell you a funny story: When I played for Cincinnati, I used to play in a touch football league in the offseason. I was a quarterback with the YMCA league. I used to have to sneak out because my dad would say I was crazy for playing, but that kept my arm in shape all winter. Once I got traded to the Mets, that was it. My career in touch football was over.

MMO: What have you been up to post playing career?

Franco: I’ve been retired since 2005 and still work with the organization periodically. I’ll go to spring training when I’m invited down. I’ve been one of the ambassadors and I do alumni work with Jay and the organization. I represent the team in various functions if they need me to do certain things.

I would love to get back into the game in some capacity. We’ll see what happens but I’m enjoying life. I took up golf a bit more seriously; I’m still not good at it, but I enjoy it. Hopefully one day, with the Era Committee, I get elected to the Hall of Fame.

MMO: Your candidacy is certainly an interesting one. Relievers haven’t been given the same attention as other positions for the Hall. If Billy Wagner makes it in his last year of eligibility, perhaps that will help your case.

Franco: My numbers are just as good as most of the guys in there, except for probably Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. If Billy gets in, that might open the door for me. I still think I belong in there, but things don’t always work out that way. Maybe the Era Committee and the former players and executives who are around the game will realize that.

MMO: When you look back on your career, John, what are you most proud of?

Franco: I’m most proud of being able to take the ball every day, being a good leader and respected on and off the field.

The post MMO Exclusive: Franchise Saves Leader, John Franco appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, Mets star closer Edwin Díaz spoke with reporters in Port St. Lucie ahead of the team’s spring training. When asked about his expectations for 2024, Díaz explained that he expects to “stay healthy all year and help the team to win a championship.” Díaz also spoke about his injury recovery, saying that the last 12 months have been tough but that he has no restrictions heading into spring training.

After missing all of 2023, Díaz is now at 100% and will hope to return to form as one of the game’s best closers.

Latest Mets News

Major League Baseball announced that it has suspended former Mets general manager Billy Eppler though the 2024 World Series. Eppler was investigated by Major League Baseball for improperly using the injured list, and the investigation concluded that Eppler deliberately fabricated injuries and did so at his sole discretion. The Mets released a statement following the announcement of the suspension stating they consider the matter closed and have no further comment.

Keith Law of The Athletic ranked the Mets’ minor league system 15th out of 30 teams. Despite the average ranking, Law praised the Mets for their busy trade deadline last season, as well as their draft history.

Former Mets fan-favorite Bartolo Colón opened up about testing positive for a banned substance two years before he joined the Mets. Colón explained on Alofoke, a Dominican-based Youtube show that it took him a month and a half to build up the courage to tell his father.

Latest MLB News

The Blue Jays officially announced that they signed pitcher Yariel Rodríguez to a five-year contract.

Veteran pitcher Corey Kluber announced he is retiring from baseball on Instagram.

The Phillies announced that center fielder Brandon Marsh underwent successful left knee surgery on Friday. They anticipate he will be ready to play in three to four weeks and will be ready for opening day.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Diamondbacks are looking to add a right-handed hitter to pair with Joc Pederson. Feinsand mentions Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, and Adam Duvall as candidates.

The Marlins announced they acquired pitcher Darren McCaughan from the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the team designated outfielder Peyton Burdick for assignment.

Latest on MMO

Elliot Teichman profiles Mets non-roster invitee, RHP Dominic Hamel.

Jack Ramsey looks at where Mets prospects landed on different top-100 prospect lists.

Jack Markowski analyzes the 2024 positional outlook at catcher for the Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

1982: General manager Frank Cashen made his first major trade for the Mets, sending Greg Harris, Jim Kern, and Álex Treviño to the Reds for former 1977 MVP and five-time All-Star George Foster. Unfortunately, Foster would not be the same player again and struggled for parts of five seasons before being released during the 1986 season.

Birthdays: Omar Narváez (32), Travis d’Arnaud (35), Alberto Castillo (54), Bobby Jones (54), Lenny Dykstra (61)

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If you’re a 5-foot-10 left-hander, throwing 100 miles per hour in the 1990s doesn’t compute—more so if you figured out how to throw lefty after breaking your dominant right arm as a child. Billy Wagner and his relatively small frame defied baseball logic. By reaching triple digits on the radar gun with regularity, he was among the best hard-throwing relievers of his time.

Wagner wasn’t merely a flamethrower, he was very effective too. He accumulated 422 saves in his 16-year career, good for sixth all-time. He totaled 1,196 strikeouts and had a 2.31 ERA. He was named an All-Star seven times and reached the postseason seven times.

Wagner locked down games for the Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, and Braves. With Houston, he fanned more than 12 per nine innings. Over two years with Philly, his WHIP was barely over 0.800. But after burning bridges in the city of Brotherly Love, Wagner joined its closest rival and bolstered the Mets’ chances of taking supremacy in the NL East.

Over three-plus seasons in New York, Wagner was an All-Star twice, registered 101 saves, fanned 230 batters, and had a 2.37 ERA with a 1.054 WHIP. His initial year was one of the best of his career, ultimately finishing with 40 saves and a 2.24 ERA for the NL East champs and even garnering Cy Young Award votes.

His next two seasons each started out well but ended in disappointment—first in ’07 when he struggled down the stretch and then in ’08 when he suffered an injury that took him out of action for much of ’09. He returned for just a few appearances as a Met that August before joining the Red Sox. It seemed as if his career was on the verge of petering out, but instead, he rebounded with a solid 2010 performance in Atlanta, posting a 1.43 ERA and 37 saves for the Braves.

Even after being an elite performer in his specialty for more than a decade, Wagner is still waiting to make the Hall. This is not uncommon for relievers. It happened prior to the eventual elections of Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, and Lee Smith. And now it’s happening to Wagner. There’s strong evidence to believe he’ll break through in one of his final two tries on the writer’s ballot. Wagner has picked up support in recent years, with the latest bringing him up to 68.1 percent.

The Case For

The Case Against

Final Thoughts

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Francisco Rodríguez did not enter the major leagues discretely. There he was at the end of the 2002 season as the Anaheim Angels were making a run at their first title. He made his big league debut in September 2002, at 20 years old.

Over 10 days, he made five regular-season appearances. Rodríguez faced 21 batters and struck out 13. He stayed unfazed during the postseason, fanning 28 of the 70 batters he faced—including three in the eighth inning of Game 7 as the Angels won the World Series. He had earned the nickname that would be tied to him for the rest of his career and beyond.

He had a lot to live up to after but did a terrific job at being a top-flight reliever. From 2004-2008, Rodríguez led the AL in saves three times, capped off by a record-setting 62. During that span, he posted a 2.23 ERA and 200 ERA+, was among the top four in Cy Young Award voting three times and made three All-Star appearances. The Angels were a perennial playoff team with Rodríguez anchoring the bullpen.

The consistently outstanding numbers K-Rod put up made him a valuable asset once he became a free agent. The Mets’ generosity was to Rodríguez’s great benefit, as they signed him to a three-year, $37 million deal.

He did not last the duration. Rodríguez made 165 appearances, saving 83 games to a 3.05 ERA and a 129 ERA+, and was traded to Milwaukee in the middle of the 2011 season (for his first stint with the Brewers).

Looking back, Rodríguez did not live up to the contract. And what occurred away from the mound was more disturbing. In August 2010, he was arrested for assaulting the father of his then-girlfriend in an incident in which he repeatedly punched the man and tore ligaments in his right thumb.

Later, after leaving New York, there were more off-the-field issues. He was arrested again in September 2012—this time for domestic violence and battery against his fiancé.

Rodriguez spent his final seven seasons with four teams at various spots in the bullpen hierarchy. He retired in 2017, but not before earning two more All-Star bids during a second stint with Milwaukee that included 126 saves in a three-year period.

Although he didn’t come close to election on his first try at the Hall of Fame, his 42 votes give him a chance to stay on the ballot. But does Rodríguez deserve to stay and, more so, deserve added consideration?

The Case For

Rodríguez’s 437 saves are the fourth-most all-time (a save was not an official stat until 1969). That’s behind three Hall of Famers: Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Lee Smith (478). Rodríguez is one of eight pitchers to post at least seven seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and at least 60 games pitched. He has had a sub-3.00 ERA plus 40 or more saves in a season four times. Only three other pitchers have done that: Rivera (nine), Hoffman (eight), and Craig Kimbrel (five).

JAWS, an advanced metric for measuring a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness, accounts for career and peak performance. Rodríguez ranks 12th among relief pitchers. The top five are all in the Hall of Fame: Rivera, Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, and Goose Gossage. Rodríguez ranks ahead of the other three inducted relievers: Smith (13th), Rollie Fingers (19th), and Bruce Sutter (23rd).

Compared to the eight in Cooperstown, Rodriguez has the second-best ERA+ at 148. Of note, Billy Wagner has a better number than K-Rod.

The Case Against

Among all others is the lack of relievers in the Hall of Fame. Wagner is waiting for his chance to reach the 75% mark and is someone many feel should’ve already been in. Other bullpen aces like John Franco and Jeff Reardon haven’t come close.

The trajectory for Wagner’s balloting offers hope for modern-day closers in the coming years. But in 2023, Rodríguez barely eclipsed the five-percent barrier needed to be on this ballot, and early indications are that it’s not a guarantee he will continue. Plus, he compares poorly against Wagner’s career statistics.

A better comparison is Joe Nathan, a one-and-done on the ballot. Nathan became a closer in 2003, the season after K-Rod started. They retired one year apart. Rodríguez pitched more innings, had more strikeouts, and had more saves. Nathan’s JAWS is higher, thanks mainly to a higher WAR.

While Rodríguez was elite—at times historic—for over six seasons, the longevity factor is lacking when compared to other Hall of Famers. And on top of that, the black marks on his character have certainly pushed away many voters.

Final Thoughts

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Position: RP
Age: 29 (4/7/1994)

2023 Traditional Stats: 61 G, 56 1/3 IP, 2-3, 1.28 ERA, 33 SV, 1.101 WHIP, 85 SO, 30 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 321 ERA+, 36.8 SO%, 13.0 BB%, 2.36 xERA, 2.69 FIP, 3.52 xFIP, 1.7 fWAR, 2.4 bWAR

Rundown

Outside of an inexplicably tumultuous 2022 season, Josh Hader has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball since he made his debut in 2017. That remained the case in 2023, his first full season as a San Diego Padre. Despite the team as a whole being a major disappointment, Hader was a rare bright spot as he returned to being one of the game’s elite closers.

In 56 1/3 innings pitched, Hader allowed just eight runs all season, which was good for a 1.28 ERA. He also struck out 36.8% of all batters faced, a low mark for him in relation to the rest of his career, and saved 33 games as opposed to just five blown saves. This made him an easy choice to represent the National League in the All-Star game, the fifth All-Star nod of his seven-year career.

The highlight of Hader’s 2023 season was a stretch of 26 games from the beginning of June to the end of August in which he didn’t allow a single earned run. Across the 23 1/3 innings that he pitched in that stretch, Hader struck out 41 batters while allowing just 30 baserunners and holding opposing batters to a ridiculous .456 OPS.

Hader was nearly as impressive over the course of the entire season, allowing a .508 OPS against and recording just two full calendar months with an ERA above 2.00. He had four months with a batting average against under .160 and three months with a slugging percentage against under .160, keeping batters from recording base hits and especially extra-base hits, exactly the type of shutdown stuff you want from your closer.

In addition to the surface-level statistics, Hader’s dominance flashed in the advanced metrics as well. He finished the 2023 season in the 99th percentile or better in xERA, xBA, and SO%. He also posted elite chase rate (92nd percentile), whiff rate (91st percentile), barrel percentage (92nd percentile), and hard hit percentage (97th percentile) numbers.

Those elite numbers are consistent with where Hader has stood his entire career, outside of an abysmal 2022 season split between the Brewers and Padres in which he posted a 5.22 ERA. From 2017 to 2021, the first five years of his career, Hader recorded a 2.26 ERA over 282 1/3 innings pitched and a remarkable 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Even during his 2022 season, Hader still struck out 14.6 per nine innings. He can be wild at times, but even at his worst, he still has some of the filthiest swing-and-miss stuff in the game.

Contract

Spotrac.com projects Hader to command a contract in the range of five-years, $87.75 million, which is approximately $17.5 million per year. Regarding average annual salary, that would slot him below only Edwin Díaz ($20.4 million per year) and Liam Hendriks ($18 million per year) for relief pitchers. Hader is only one year older than Díaz was when he signed his mega contract, and it’s not far-fetched to believe that he could threaten Díaz to become the highest-paid relief pitcher in baseball.

Recommendation

With that being said, the Mets shouldn’t go after Josh Hader. While money isn’t a problem for Steve Cohen and new president of baseball operations David Stearns is familiar with Hader from their time in Milwaukee, it just isn’t the best allocation of money to have two relievers making nearly, or more than $100 million. That doesn’t even consider the fact that Hader has resisted pitching in non-save situations and for more than an inning at a time in the past.

Another roadblock in a potential Hader signing is that he is eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Padres. If he received the qualifying offer and the Mets were to sign him, the Mets would be forfeiting a draft pick, which would go against the way Steve Cohen and David Stearns are trying to build the Mets. Ultimately, the Mets should look elsewhere to bolster their bullpen this offseason.

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Díaz has made clear his wish to return all year, hoping he’d get into at least a game or two before season’s end. He’s been progressing well, and will continue to throw bullpen sessions through the rest of this month, DiComo reported. But given that he only resumed throwing relatively recently, and he’s still ramping his velocity and stuff back up to where it was, there’s no use trying to squeeze him into official game action.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets will officially have been without their star closer for the entire 2023 season. The 29-year-old had a career year in 2022, posting a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 62 innings. He was set to have a chance to repeat that performance this season, but he injured his knee in a celebration during the World Baseball Classic.

Díaz’s absence is far from the only thing that’s gone wrong for the 2023 Mets, but it certainly made their bullpen depth thinner from the beginning until the season spiraled out of proportion. To David Robertson‘s credit, he filled in well in the closer’s role before being traded to the Marlins, a team in the thick of the Wild Card race that the Mets will face Monday evening.

Díaz should be able to continue progressing throughout the offseason and be ready in plenty of time for the 2024 season. A return to full health would be a strong first boost to getting this team back in the hunt.

The post Edwin Díaz Will Not Pitch This Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Kodai Senga will start for the Mets on Sunday in the series finale against the Blue Jays, his first start this season on regular four-day rest. Senga’s starts this year have been spaced out to give him five or six days of rest to mimic the typical schedule he pitched on in Japan. Senga is coming off of a remarkable performance in which he gave up just one hit in seven scoreless innings, throwing an even 100 pitches in that outing so it will be interesting to see if he can pitch well again, this time with less rest than normal.

Latest Mets News

The Mets lost 3-0 in the first game of their three-game series against the Blue Jays on Friday night. Justin Verlander pitched well, giving up just one run in six innings, but former Met Chris Bassitt was lights-out, going 7 2/3 scoreless innings to hand the Mets the loss.

Per Tim Healey of Newsday, Tim Locastro was given a timetable of six to eight weeks to return to action following his thumb surgery, which would place him at a mid-to-late July return. Healy noted that Locastro has been talking with Brett Baty who suffered a similar injury last season.

Billy Eppler spoke to media on Friday about how Ronny Mauricio is “acclimating to left field,” and the plan is to use him in left field in a game eventually. Mauricio, who is a natural shortstop, has only played shortstop and second base for Triple-A Syracuse this season, and now he will be exposed to a new position.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that the Mets traded for relief pitcher Vinny Nittoli. In 16 appearances in Triple-A, Nittoli has a 3.48 ERA.

Latest MLB News

On Lou Gehrig Day, which was celebrated across baseball on Friday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com paid tribute to Sarah Langs, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, with a touching video. Buster Olney of ESPN also shared Sarah’s story with a video of his own.

MLB’s monthly awards for May were announced on Friday, won by the following players:

• Players of the Month: Aaron Judge (AL), Freddie Freeman (NL)
• Pitchers of the Month: Nathan Eovaldi (AL), Michael Wacha (NL)
• Relievers of the Month: Alex Lange (AL), Camilo Doval (NL)
• Rookies of the Month: Josh Jung (AL), Spencer Steer (NL)

Steer beat out Francisco Álvarez for NL Rookie of the Month despite Álvarez’s torrent May.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Royals are listening to trade offers for closer Scott Barlow who has pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 innings this year.

The Pirates traded reliever Robert Stephenson to the Rays for minor league shortstop Alika Williams.

Joey Votto, who has yet to appear in a major league game this year, will begin a rehab assignment today for Triple-A Louisville.

The Cardinals placed outfielder Lars Nootbaar on the injured list with a lower back contusion. In a corresponding move, they recalled their top prospect, Jordan Walker, from Triple-A Memphis.

The Padres reinstated Manny Machado from the 10-day injured list but placed Nelson Cruz on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. The team also selected the contract of Alfonso Rivas and optioned José Azocar to Triple-A El Paso.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari wrote about the starting rotation’s success against the Phillies.

Brian Wright wrote about Al Leiter and Howard Johnson, and their deserving induction into the Mets’ Hall of Fame.

Christian De Block analyzed the decision for Ronny Mauricio to start playing left field.

On This Date in Mets History

1980: The Mets selected Darryl Strawberry out of high school with the first overall pick of the MLB draft.

Birthdays: Zach Lutz (37), Carl Everett (52), Aaron Ledesma (52), Barry Lyons (63), Ed Glynn (70)

The post Morning Briefing: Kodai Senga to Pitch Sunday on Regular Rest appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A closer can make or break a team, and heading into 2023, the NL East is loaded with talent. The Phillies spent their offseason retooling their bullpen, adding two legit arms with closing experience, the Braves will call upon a new face with the departure of Kenley Jansen, and the Mets will call upon Edwin Díaz to replicate his dominant 2022 season. The division will be tight, and the ninth-inning guys may decide the division. Before the 2023 season begins, MMO has ranked the top five closers/top bullpen men in the NL East.

No. 5 – Kyle Finnegan

While the Nationals had a season to forget in 2022, Kyle Finnegan was one of the few players who performed well. He posted a 3.51 ERA, 9.5 SO/9, and 112 ERA+ in 66 2/3 innings, locking down the eighth and ninth innings for the majority of the season.

Finnegan’s success lies in his 97 mph sinker, which he throws 78.8% of the time. The pitch is overpowering, as it ranks in the 93rd percentile for fastball velocity, leading batters to record a .217 batting average and a .394 slugging percentage against it.

Unfortunately for Finnegan, his issue is also his sinker, as he relied heavily on the pitch in 2022, leading to a lack of deception. He threw his slider and split-finger a combined 21.2% of the time, leading batters to sit on his sinker. As a result, Finnegan ranked in the 10th percentile for average exit velocity, 11% percentile for hard hit percentage, and 17th percentile for chase rate. To make matters worse, his sinker had minimal movement and ranked in the 12th percentile in fastball spin.

No. 4 – Dylan Floro

Dylan Floro had another under-the-radar year for the Marlins in 2022. He posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.174 WHIP, and 135 ERA+ in 53 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old impressively also held batters in check, holding them to four home runs and a .388 slugging percentage last season.

The advanced numbers also showed that Floro was great at inducing soft contact. He finished in the 88th percentile for hard hit percentage, 75th percentile for average exit velocity and 84th percentile for barrel percentage. The lack of hard contact can also be traced to Floro’s ability to keep the ball on the ground, as he finished the season with a 43.9% ground-ball rate and 1.8% home run rate.

The separating pitch for Floro, however, was his slider in 2022. While it only comes in at 84.1 mph and has an 1891 spin rate, batters couldn’t pick up the pitch and whiffed 40.1% of the time. Impressively, Floro held batters to a .333 slugging percentage against the slider and only gave up one extra-base in 189 tries.

No. 3 – Seranthony Domínguez/Craig Kimbrel/Gregory Soto

Picking a closer for the Phillies is no easy task. As of now, they have three closers with MLB experience and all have equally great stuff. To make matters more difficult, the Phillies haven’t awarded any of them the closer’s role.

Seranthony Domínguez could win the role out of spring training. He’s had trouble staying healthy in his young career, but had a promising 2022, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.137 WHIP, 10.8 SO/9, and 136 ERA+ in 51 innings.

Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel both are threats to winning the closer role in spring training as well. The two of them joined the Phillies in the off-season and have prior experience in the ninth inning. Soto saved 30 games for the Tigers in 2022, posting a 3.28 ERA, 9 SO/9, and 116 ERA+ in 60 1/3 innings. Similarly, Kimbrel saved 22 games for the Dodgers last season, posting a 3.75 ERA, 10.8 SO/9, and 112 ERA+ in 60 innings.

However, the three of them all had similar issues last season. Kimbrel, Soto, and Domínguez all allowed consistent hard contact, with all three of them finishing in the 13th percentile or lower for hard hit percentage and 10th percentile or lower for average exit velocity. The three closers also all struggled with walks, finishing in the 13th percentile or lower for walk rate.

No matter who comes out on top, the ranking wouldn’t change. The Phillies’ closers are all elite strikeout pitchers, who give up their fair share of hard contact and walk too many batters. Based on their previous seasons, Kimbrel or Domínguez will most likely win the closer’s role. Soto struggled the most out of the three, landing in the bottom 1% of the league for exit velocity and the 2nd percentile for BB%.

No. 2 – Raisel Iglesias

Raisel Iglesias has the potential to be an X-factor for the Braves in the 2023 season. He was dominant after being traded to Atlanta and recorded a 0.34 ERA, 0.835 WHIP, and 10.3 SO/9 in 26 1/3 innings.

For 2023, he’ll have to replicate his stellar numbers in the ninth inning, since Kenley Jansen signed with the Red Sox. While Jansen wasn’t as dominant as Iglesias, he locked down the ninth for the Braves, leading the NL with 41 saves.

Iglesias has the potential to be better in the ninth, however, for the Braves. Not only were his numbers for the season great, but his advanced metrics were absurd. Iglesias finished in the 92nd percentile for strikeout percentage, 82nd percentile for walk rate, and 93rd percentile for whiff percentage.

The two pitches responsible for Iglesias’s success were his slider and change-up. Batters whiffed over 42% against both pitches, resulting in 45 of his 78 strikeouts. When batters did make contact against the two pitches, it wasn’t with authority, as Iglesias held batters to an average exit velocity of under 85 mph.

No. 1 – Edwin Díaz

Queue Timmy Trumpet everybody, Díaz is coming in as the number one closer on this list!

Díaz had a historically great season in 2022 with the Mets. He posted a 1.31 ERA, 0.90 FIP, 0.839 WHIP, and 17.1 SO/9 in 62 innings. For a consecutive season, Díaz recorded 0.4 HR/9, putting to bed his problem with the long ball.

Díaz’s return to dominance can be attributed to his slider, which was the pitch that made him great in 2018 with the Mariners. Batters hit .114 and slugged .134 against the pitch, while also whiffing 54.7% of the time. The confidence in the slider was key as well, resulting in Díaz throwing the slider 58.1% of the time and recording a 38.1 PutAway%.

With the resurgence of his slider and electric fastball, Díaz lit up his baseball-savant page up red. He finished in the 96th percentile for average exit velocity, 93rd percentile for barrel percentage, 99th percentile for fastball velocity, and 97th percentile for chase rate. If that didn’t impress, Díaz also finished in the 100th percentile K% and Whiff%.

Díaz wasn’t just the best closer in the NL East in 2022 but in the entire sport. He was awarded the NL Reliever of the Year award for 2022, while also finishing ninth in Cy Young voting and 16th in MVP voting. Heading into 2023, Díaz is indisputably the best closer in MLB.

The post 2023 NL East Positional Rankings: Closer appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Updated Post – Jan.6, 11:45

Any Martino of SNY reports that grown “very frustrated” in their negotiations over the last couple of days with Scott Boras. Martino notes that the Mets are considering walking away from a deal with Carlos Correa.

Despite all of that, the source told Martino, they “still believed the sides stood a strong chance of reaching an agreement.”

Updated Post – Jan. 6, 10:50

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Minnesota Twins are still in the sweepstakes for star infielder Carlos Correa. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted on Thursday night that the camp for Correa had been in contact with at least one team besides the Mets as negotiations move past the two-week mark.

Correa hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and a 5.4 WAR in 136 games for the Twins in the 2022 season.

Updated Post – Jan. 5, 20:05

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Carlos Correa’s camp had contact with at least one team and possibly two teams outside of the Mets on Thursday.

Heyman notes this happened because there has been a hiccup in the renegotiations of the original 12-year, $315 million deal that Correa and the Mets agreed to before Christmas.

Despite the contact with another team, Heyman talked to a Mets person that was still confident they would sign Correa, “Ultimately, I don’t think Mr. Cohen is going to let him go.”

Updated Post – Jan. 5, 15:15

Andy Martino of SNY reports that the New York Mets and Carlos Correa continue to have ongoing discussions that include lawyers to work out what’s expected to be a complicated deal.

Martino says that he’s hearing that a resolution could come sooner than later. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that a deal could get done by the end of the week.

The Mets and Correa’s agent Scott Boras have now been working on the revised deal for over two weeks after the team expressed concerns about the lower right leg of Carlos.

Original Post – Jan. 3, 18:52

While it’s largely been quiet on the Carlos Correa front for the last week or so, there have been rumblings on Tuesday as the anxieties from Mets fans grow by the day.

The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal, who reported on the Mets having concerns with Correa’s medical results like the San Francisco Giants did, said that he expects the Mets’ final deal with the 28-year-old shortstop to look “dramatically different” than the original terms that were agreed to.

The Mets and Correa agreed to a 12-year, $315 million deal on December 21, just after the Giants postponed their introductory press conference due to concerns over Correa’s ankle. Before they could return to the negotiating table, Mets owner Steve Cohen swooped in to offer Correa and his agent, Scott Boras, a deal.

Since Rosenthal’s report on December 24–just three days after the initial agreement–it’s generally been radio silence in terms of news. He now says that the deal will not include 12 years and $315 million fully guaranteed. “The question is to what extent does language change,” he said. When Boras negotiated new terms with J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox over concerns of a potential foot injury, mutual options were worked into the deal that vested if Martinez lost time due to a specific injury to the foot in concern.

Look at this post from Carlos Correa’s IG 👀 pic.twitter.com/pO3S5yRjbN

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) January 3, 2023

Earlier Tuesday, Correa teased his potential future home on Instagram, with his son donning an “I Love New York” shirt as the shortstop was “going to work” with his kid.

Before the calendar turned to 2023, MMO’s Mike Mayer said he had not heard of anyone from within the Mets organization who was pessimistic about a deal happening. We’ll see if that holds up as we enter Week 3 of the Correa saga.

The post Report: Mets ‘Very Frustrated’ With Correa Negotiations appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This offseason, we’ve been looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. We began with the team’s best signings. Now we’re saving the worst for last. We started with Roger Cedeño and we continue with another failed second go-around in New York.

For two seasons, Jeurys Familia was one of the best closers the Mets ever had. From 2015 to 2016, he gave the team a reliable late-game bullpen presence in consecutive playoff years.

When New York was out of contention in 2018, Familia was part of a trade deadline deal that sent him to the A’s. It turned out to be a rental in the Bay Area, because the Mets brought back Familia that winter as a set-up man to Edwin Díaz. But that new role led to far different results for the former closer, as he posted an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.55 in three subsequent years with the Mets.

After a strong rookie season behind closer Jenrry Mejia, Familia got his chance to save games on a regular basis at the start of the 2015 season when Mejia was suspended. It was an opportunity he capitalized on.

Familia pitched to a 1.55 ERA, striking out 9.9 per nine innings and saving 46 games in 2015 on the way to the helping the Mets win the National League pennant. That success carried over to 2016, when he established two franchise records: converting 52 straight save chances, and 51 in a single season.

However, Familiar had his struggles in the postseason. The Mets closer had three blown saves in 2015 World Series (even if two weren’t totally his fault) and gave up three runs in the Mets 2016 Wild Card Game defeat to the Giants.

The 2017 season involved issues more serious than on-field results. Familia was suspended for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy and later dealt with a right shoulder injury. His on-field performance did improve in 2018 before the trade to Oakland, with a 2.88 ERA in 40 appearances.

When the Mets re-signed Familia in 2019, he had every reason to return to New York. He grew up in the organization, after signing as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic at age 17. A three-year deal worth $30 million was also good motivation for Familia to come back to Queens following the 2018 season, and the size of the contract showed the Mets were motivated too — probably too much. The signing came shortly after New York made a multi-player swap with Seattle — which brought Díaz to New York.

With two All-Star pitchers who had saved 50-plus games bolstering the Mets bullpen, the team had high hopes for eighth-to-ninth lockdown combination. While Díaz had a disastrous first year in Queens, Familia’s return was also very underwhelming. In 66 games, his 5.70 ERA, 72 ERA+, and 1.73 WHIP were each personal worsts since becoming a regular in the big leagues. Familia’s walk rate was also significantly higher than it was at his peak.

Familia’s next two seasons were better, but he still showed much more inconsistency than he did when he was the team’s closer. Familia had 25 appearances in the shortened 2020 season and pitched in 65 games in 2021 , combining for an ERA+ of 106 with 95 strikeouts in 86 innings. In many cases, Familiar had some tough luck, but the return on investment for the Mets was clearly not there based on his overall statistics. Familia allowed 10 homers in what turned out to be his final year in New York in 2021. He spent the 2022 campaign in Philly and Boston with even less favorable results.

The staying power for many relief pitchers is short. Good one year, great another, bad the next. Familia is not unlike a lot of bullpen arms — a pitcher who could not repeat the same success as before and the Mets paid the price for it.

The post Mets Worst Free-Agent Signing No. 9: Jeurys Familia appeared first on Metsmerized Online.