Darren O’Day

Position: RP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: October 22, 1982 (37)

Traditional Stats: 0-0, 5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K, 1.69 ERA (3.60 ERA in 2018)
Advanced Stats:  285 ERA+, 2.09 FIP (121 ERA+, 3.46 FIP in 2018)

Darren O’Day pitched for the University of Florida from 2003 to 2006, though he was not drafted out of college. However, in 2006, O’Day was drafted as a free agent by the Los Angeles Angels.

O’Day made his big league debut with the Angels on March 31, 2008, putting in an inning of work that saw him give up two hits and a walk while striking out one. He finished the 2008 season with an 0-1 record, a rather average 4.57 ERA in 43.1 IP, and a total of 49 hits, 24 runs, 14 walks, and 29 strikeouts.

The following year, the New York Mets picked up O’Day from the Angels in the Rule 5 draft, and the righty would go on to pitch 4 games for New York during the first month of the 2009 season. In just 3 innings pitched, he gave up 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk, while punching out two. On April 22, O’Day was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers and ultimately finished the 2009 season with a 2-1 record. In 55.3 innings for Texas, the reliever maintained a 1.94 ERA while giving up a total of 36 hits, 12 runs, 17 walks, and 54 strikeouts.

O’Day would call Texas and the Rangers home for the next two seasons. His 2010 season would boast a 6-2 record and a 2.03 ERA in 63 innings, accompanied by 43 hits, 15 runs, and 45 punchouts. O’Day’s 2011 campaign proved much less successful; his ERA ballooned to 5.40, leading to a 0-1 record in 16.2 innings.

Following his disappointing 2011 season, O’Day returned to the east coast, joining the Baltimore Orioles- and Baltimore is where he would stay for seven years. In those seven years- and a total of 374.1 innings- O’Day accumulated a 28-14 record, an ERA of 2.40, 19 saves, 269 hits, 106 runs, 103 walks, and 424 K’s. Most notably, in 2015, the righty earned a much-deserved spot as a reserve on the AL All-Star team.

After quite a tenure with the O’s, O’Day hopped back on the east coast train, joining a talented Atlanta Braves squad in 2019. In just 5.1 innings, O’Day put up a 1.69 ERA, giving up 3 hits, a run, a walk, and 6 strikeouts.

The veteran reliever now enters free agency at 37-years-old, looking to help a contender shore up their bullpen.

Contract

In 2019, O’Day’s final year of a 4-year/$31M contract, the righty made a total of $7.75M. This base salary might appear to be on the higher end when looking ahead to 2020, as age is clearly a factor- O’Day will be turning 38, and ball clubs looking for bullpen help might not be inclined to pay what might actually be deemed sensible money for a player with O’Day’s career numbers.

Ultimately, O’Day only pitching 25 innings over the last two seasons and being 37, make it likely he gets a one-year deal with a small commitment.

Recommendation

It is no secret that the New York Mets need- no, sorry, desperately need- bullpen help going into the 2020 season. However, as mentioned above, age is indeed a factor in whether or not the Mets should pursue Darren O’Day. With nearly 600 innings under his belt at age 37, it could be a risky option to patch up an already shaky bullpen- but the career numbers appear enticing, and the Mets could probably work out a reasonable deal money-wise.

If the Mets are truly committed to stabilizing their bullpen once and for all, Darren O’Day should not be high on their wish list this offseason. The Mets should try and commit themselves to younger, stronger, and more reliable arms if the market allows. However, it would not be entirely surprising if the front office were to snag O’Day for a good price- perhaps to the tune of 1 year/$5-6M.