Last year, the Mets had released Kirk Nieuwenhuis after he had hit .079/.125/.132 with no homers and two RBI in 27 games. Nieuwenhuis would go to the Angels where he would be similarly ineffective causing them to release him. The Mets then jumped on the chance to bring him back due to injuries and the ineffective play of players like Darrell Ceciliani.
Now, a year later the Mets are facing a similar situation with Jon Niese. According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets are internally debating whether or not they should reunite with Niese.
This move speaks more about the Mets’ needs than it does Niese’s performance. The former Met southpaw is 7-6 with a 5.13 ERA, 1.574 WHIP, and a 5.49 FIP. Niese has performed so poorly that he recently lost his spot in the rotation and caused his General Manager Neil Huntington to quip:
“In hindsight, maybe two fringe prospects in exchange for Neil Walker and trying to figure out how to reallocate the money might have been a better return.”
Currently, the Mets have turned to Logan Verrett to replace Matt Harvey in the rotation. He is 1-4 with a 5.64 ERA and a 1.649 WHIP as a starter this year and will get the start Saturday night against the Phillies.
At Triple-A Las Vegas, Sean Gilmartin has had a 6.17 ERA and a 1.447 WHIP in his last 10 starts with one relief appearance, while Gabriel Ynoa has a 6.65 ERA and a 1.630 WHIP in his last eight starts.
Carig also adds that the Mets are still prioritizing a right-handed relief pitcher in the trade market, but will continue to look at starters as the deadline nears.
