Free Agent Left-Handed Relievers That The Mets Should Target

One of the questions surrounding the 2022 season for the New York Mets was the decision not to bolster the bullpen with a left-handed reliever at the trade deadline. Now, the Mets will get a chance to do so this off-season, in a market that has some strong options. Who are the top southpaw reliever on the market?

Andrew Chafin

The Mets really struggled to replace Aaron Loup in 2022 and none of the options they resorted to as a backup plan really worked out consistency. You can’t contend for a World Series with a compromised bullpen and that’s why free agent Andrew Chafin should be a priority target. Linked with the Mets before, Chafin has put together a couple of really good seasons together consecutively and he arguably headlines the lefty reliever market this off-season.

Chafin posted a stellar 1.83 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings for both the Athletics and the Tigers in 2021, and he was impressive again in 2022 with a 2.84 ERA, 3.06 FIP and 67 strikeouts to only 19 walks in 57 1/3 innings. The veteran’s biggest weapon in 2022 was his filthy slider, which generated a very impressive 60.4% swing-and-miss rate in 2022.

The track record is there too. Over a six season span dating back to 2017, Chafin boasts a 3.05 ERA, 3.3 walks per nine, and 10.2 strikeouts per nine, to go along with a 4.9 fWAR. The lefty would be the ideal target to really kickstart a much-needed rebuild of this bullpen. Chafin is tried and tested in the majors and his arm would give the Mets a huge advantage in high-leverage situations late in games throughout 2023.

Matt Moore

After Chafin, the lefty reliever market takes a bit of a hit but there are still some solid options out there, including Matt Moore, who is coming off a hugely eye-catching season with the Texas Rangers. After signing a minor-league deal worth $2.5 million in Texas last year, Moore proceeded to weave his own revenge tour and he’s now set himself up for a nice payday this winter.

In 63 appearances over 74 innings, the former starter posted a 1.95 ERA with a 1.176 WHIP, a 2.4 WAR, and 83 strikeouts with five saves. Moore excelled against right-handed batters with a .537 OPS and, while he had a .634 OPS against lefties. Though, he was still able to get both out on a regular basis and his changeup proved to be a reliable weapon in 2022 with 45.7% whiff rate and a 22.4% put away rate.

If Chafin comes off the board quickly, then Moore wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize for the Mets and he would provide an elite arm coming out of the bullpen, an arm that is probably better than any of the lefty relievers the team relied on last year.

Taylor Rogers

As already mentioned, the lefty reliever market lacks considerable depth this off-season and that is hardly a help for a team like the Mets who are in real need of high-leverage arms to come out of the bullpen. However, there are intriguing pieces out there and one such player that fits into that category is Taylor Rogers.

Rogers became a lynchpin of the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen from 2016 through to 2021, before being dealt to the Padres where he racked up 17 saves with an untouchable 0.44 ERA through 20 innings of incredible ball. However, the veteran soon saw his play fall off a cliff and he was left with a bloated and ugly 6.75 ERA. Rogers was then dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade at the trade deadline, but he put up a 5.48 ERA in 23 innings pitched for the Brewers down the stretch.

As a result, Rogers now enters free agency with his stock at an all-time low and having to deal with questions over whether he still has filthy stuff. However, still just 31-years-old, Rogers’ under-the-hood numbers in 2022 actually paint a slightly different story and give hope that last year was just a one-off.

His 11.75 K/9 strikeout rate was the second-highest mark of his career, and it also ranked in the 90th percentile in all of baseball. His swing-and-miss generation ranked in the 84th percentile. His FIP and xFIP of 3.32 and 3.26 also paint a picture of some considerable bad luck.

Having proved he could also stay healthy in 2022, Rogers has appeal has a high-leverage arm that can come out of the bullpen in clutch situations and deal filthy stuff, and maybe take some of the pressure off of Diaz in the process. Spotrac.com has Rogers’ average annual salary at $13.1 million. Given his struggles on the surface last season, it is likely a new deal may check in comfortably below that figure. If the Mets can get the seven-year vet on a short-term deal, he could prove to be a bargain as a high-end lefty arm able to deliver in big moments both in the regular season and in the playoffs.