After being released by the St. Louis Cardinals, veteran RHP Jonathan Broxton is now a free agent.

Broxton, 33, was struggling so far in the season, having posted a 6.89 ERA. In 20 appearances he pitched 15.2 innings, allowing 23 hits and 11 walks for a 2.170 WHIP. Despite those awful numbers, they don’t tell the complete story.

He had a 6.89 ERA, but he pitched for the Cardinals who have one of the worst team defenses in the game. They are tied for third in the MLB with 38 errors, and other than gold glover Yadier Molina behind the plate, none of their players stand out defensively. That poor defense is reflected in Broxton’s 4.76 FIP which is still not a pretty number, but it’s far better than his ERA and FIP is a more accurate representation of a pitcher’s effectiveness. He’s also been the victim of a crazy high .429 BABIP this year.

The two-time All Star still seems to have good enough stuff, having struck out 16 batters in 15.2 innings. He is averaging 94.4 mph on his fastball, getting it up as high as 97.1 mph. He also throws a slider and a changeup which are very close together with 87.7 and 87.6 mph averages respectively. His 11 walks in 15.2 innings allude to a lack of command which would also include him leaving his pitches, good stuff or otherwise, in hittable locations.

His 11.9 percent swinging-strike rate, his best since 2009, shows that his stuff is still strong. His best secondary pitch, his slider, would benefit from coming to New York and pitching under Dan Warthen‘s tutelage. Hopefully Warthen would also be able to figure out the mechanical issue that’s affected Broxton’s command.

When it comes down to it, it couldn’t hurt the Mets to kick the tires on the veteran. Their bullpen has been struggling, and because he was released outright by the Cardinals, the Mets would only be paying Broxton the league minimum salary. It is truly a low-risk move with the possibility for a high reward. He couldn’t be much worse than Neil Ramirez.

Broxton had his best years with the Dodgers, but has also pitched for the Royals, Reds, Brewers, and most recently the Cardinals. He has struck out 758 batters in 676.0 innings during his career, pitching to a 3.41 ERA and 3.14 FIP. He also has closing experience, having recorded 118 saves in his career.

Right-handers Ernesto Frieri and Bobby Parnell also opted out of their minor league deals today to become free agents.

Frieri, 31, had a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 21 innings for the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders before opting out earlier today.

Former Met Parnell was pitching for the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Kansas City Royals top affiliate. He had a 4.71 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and only 17 strikeouts compared to 13 walks in 21 innings.

Former Rangers closer Sam Dyson is expected to be designated for assignment today with the intention of Texas trading the struggling reliever.