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.
