As noted by MMO‘s Michael Mayer, the Mets used RHP Chris Flexen out of the bullpen for Syracuse last night. In 2.0 innings, he allowed one hit, no runs, no walks, and he struck out a batter.

There are many factors as to why Flexen was moved to the bullpen. Chief among them is the recent promotion of Anthony Kay to Triple-A and the need to open up a spot in the rotation for the team’s top pitching prospect. The other and perhaps more important reason is the Mets need to find a role for Flexen.

In 2017, the team thought highly enough of Flexen they called him up to the Majors after just seven starts above Single-A. The results weren’t great, which is understandable.

The problem with Flexen is that 2017 season was his best in the Majors. Since that point, he’s struggled more. There are a few reasons why including his needing to have his knee surgically repaired and the team not truly putting him in a position to succeed. While relevant, that’s not the only factors in his struggles.

The biggest reason for his struggles is the fact he’s essentially a two pitch pitcher. Apparently unbeknownst to him those pitches are the fastball and curveball. As noted by Baseball America, in 2017, Flexen’s curve had the second highest spin rate amongst Mets pitchers with Seth Lugo obviously coming on top.

The problem is Flexen has not used that curveball as frequently as his slider. Part of the reason for that might be his needing to develop the pitch to become a viable starter. Whatever the case, Flexen should feel free to scrap or at least focus less in his other pitches and focus more on his fastball and curve.

That’s not too dissimilar from what Lugo has been able to do, and it’s what Robert Gsellman does when he’s at his best. Seeing Lugo and Gsellman effectively make the transition to the bullpen, you could see Flexen do the same.

While his numbers aren’t good as a Major Leaguer the first time through the order, they are significantly better than his numbers a second time through the order. Keep in mind those stats are for him as a starter and not as a reliever focusing on his best pitches and not needing to hold back a little to go deep into the game.

Another important note here is Flexen has made strides this year. As noted by MMO‘s Mathew Brownstein, Flexen leads the International League in strikeout percentage (31.3%) and xFIP (3.46), and he’s tied for fifth in swinging strike percentage (12.8%).

Those are the types of numbers which can play in short bursts or outings. The same can be said about his fastball and curveball. Seeing this, we can see why putting Flexen in the bullpen is a worthwhile experiment.

If nothing else, he’s shown he’s not a Major League starter, at least not yet. With Flexen not having any options remaining, the team needs to find out how he can help the team, and with the team desperately needing bullpen help, Flexen moving to the bullpen is the best solution for everyone involved.