Kyle Crick, RP

Position: RP B/T: L/R
Age: 31 (11/30/1992)

2023: DNP

2022 Traditional Stats: 14 G, 15.2 IP, 19 K, 7 BB, 10 H, 0 HR, 4.44 ERA
2022 Advanced Stats: 103 ERA-, 3.18 FIP, 4.12 xFIP, 28.8 K%, 16.7 BB%, 92.8 vFA

Rundown

Kyle Crick is yet another low-key bullpen addition by the New York Mets early this offseason.  They have already added Cole Sulser, Austin Adams, Crick, and Andre Scrubb and all will compete for opportunities in the Mets’ bullpen. Adams is the only one that received a major-league deal

Once a first-round pick by the San Francisco Giants, Crick has toiled in mediocrity for the last several seasons, ultimately ending up out of baseball last season.  Interestingly, Crick has not allowed a home run since 2019, albeit in a small, but not minuscule, sample size of 45 2/3 innings pitched.

While Crick has always generated tons of movement on his pitches, he has never achieved the level of consistency needed to become a mainstay in a major-league bullpen.  His command is his biggest bugaboo, yet injuries have also been a recurring theme for Crick throughout his career.

Kyle Crick. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Contract

While the contract amount is unknown, the deal is a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.  It is safe to assume that the Mets guaranteed little-to-no money to Crick, yet he may have some incentives, besides for the chance to compete for a bullpen spot in the spring.

Deeper Look

What Kyle Crick brings to the table is a repertoire that consists of a sinker and a slider.  Due to his low arm slot, both of his pitches have excellent horizontal movement, the slider has been considered elite and his sinker has more run than sink. Mechanical issues, as well as injuries, have seen Crick experience a precipitous drop in velocity over his MLB career.  Once sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s, Crick barely cracked 94 MPH during his last couple of years in the major leagues.

Crick has, what is referred to as late pronation in his delivery, this is a contributing factor to both his command issues as well as injury history. His short stride and early plant cause his arm to severely lag behind his hip explosion. This is coupled by Crick putting even more stress on his elbow by raising it above his shoulder and then uncoiling it as he delivers each pitch.

If Crick was very successful doing this, then it would be something teams would let slide, yet given his lack of results, this is an area Crick must clean up. Given his overall skill level, Crick still has the potential to blossom into a late-inning reliever and last spring the Rays must have had just that in mind.  After signing him to the same contract the Mets signed Crick to this weekend, he went on to post extremely strong peripherals with 11 strikeouts and just two walks across 7 2/3 innings.

The Rays did work with him on a few of these mechanical issues previously alluded to. They extended Crick’s stride, just enough for his hips to sync up with his arm a little more consistently. They eliminated his severe “inverted w,” which is when pitchers raise their elbows above their shoulders.  And finally, they dropped his arm slot from a low-3/4 delivery to practically sidearm.

If Crick can incorporate these mechanical adjustments, which should in turn provide him with sharper command, he will have the ability to supply the Mets with a steady source of low-leverage innings.  If he finds his previous mid-90s sinker as well, he can become a late-inning option, a la Joel Payamps with the Brewers last season.

Grade: C+

As with any of these moves orchestrated by president of baseball operations David Stearns, it provides little-to-no downside and just for that it’s fine.  While it’s impossible to know how Crick will look, the sheer quantity of interesting arms they will have in camp should bear fruit.

In a perfect world, they all contribute to the Mets’ bullpen and one becomes a vaunted late-inning option for new manager Carlos Mendoza. The more likely scenario is that they end up finding two solid options who can soak up a bunch of innings in lower-leverage situations.