Two consecutive losses to the elite Phillies ensured the Mets failed to make up any ground on their NL Wild Card rivals. More importantly, though, a nagging injury to a crucial player ensured a rather dark cloud will hover over this team heading into the week.

However, all hope is not lost, and, on that note, let’s dive straight into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 UP

PLENTY TO PLAY FOR

This weekend wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Mets. Yes, they dropped a series at a time when they could ill afford to. And, yes, a certain star player is dealing with an injury that could prove problematic. More on that later. But, despite all of that adversity, the Mets are still right in the thick of things. With Atlanta losing to the Dodgers on Sunday night, New York is still tied with the Braves for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. As a result, this team could send a real statement by taking care of business against the Nationals to start the week. It isn’t over yet. There’s still a hell of a lot of baseball yet to play.

CAREER DAY

David Peterson gave the Mets every chance to clinch the series against the Phillies on Sunday. The lefty tossed a career-high 7.2 innings. He allowed one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. In other words, Peterson was absolutely money when he needed to be. He did his job, but unfortunately, the offense couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. Despite that, Peterson lowered his ERA to 2.85 on the year. He has easily been one of the Mets’ biggest surprises of the year.

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION

Mets fans finally got their wish during the series in Philadelphia. The team called up highly-rated prospect Luisangel Acuña to The Show, and his first showing did not disappoint. The shortstop collected a pair of hits in his Major League debut on Saturday, recording a pair of hard-hit singles. Acuña also made some nice plays in the field on Sunday, including some fancy glovework to get the final out of the fourth inning. All in all, Acuña flashed some tantalizing signs of what we could come to expect from the prospect down the road.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

HOPE AND PRAY

Monday will be a nerve-wracking experience for everyone in Mets land. Francisco Lindor, the team’s MVP of this year, will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of his lower back tightness. Lindor was hindered by back pain all weekend, exiting early on Friday, and not playing in Saturday’s game. He was in the lineup for the finale on Sunday but lasted less than two full innings. The star shortstop was clearly in a lot of discomfort, and we now wait and hope for positive news. Lindor will likely play through as much pain as possible for the final 13 games of the regular season if can. He’s a gamer. However, if he’s forced to miss any time at all, that could act as a fatal blow to the Mets’ hopes of making the playoffs.

SAME OLD STORY

The bullpen has been a major concern for most of the year. It was considered a weakness coming into the season, and despite some high points here and there, the relief pitching could be what ultimately dooms the Mets. That was certainly the case over the weekend. Danny Young, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek combined to allow three runs on five hits with a walk as the bullpen melted down on Saturday. Then, in the series finale, Edwin Díaz entered a tied game in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a walk-off single to J.T. Realmuto. The Mets need their relievers to be money and clutch down the stretch. If not, October baseball may remain a distant dream.

GOING COLD

Other than Friday’s offensive explosion, the lineup didn’t really produce the goods for the Mets against the Phillies. And, even in the series opener, it took until the fifth inning for the bats to wake up. The offense was shut out for the final six innings of Saturday’s game before being held to just one run on Sunday. All in all, the Mets went just 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position over the final two games of the series in Philadelphia. And, with the top of the lineup not delivering consistently enough, that should be a real concern heading into the final couple of weeks of the regular season. Especially if Lindor ends up missing any more time.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Endure Tough Weekend In Philly appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, right-handed pitcher Phil Maton is finalizing a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Maton had a 3.00 ERA in 2023. He pitched in 68 games for Houston throughout the 2023 season.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Dinelson Lamet is headed to the Dodgers on a minor league deal and was given an invite to spring training. The right-hander was once a promising prospect with the Padres, but he put up a ghastly 11.57 ERA in 27 2/3 major league innings last year.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Chicago White Sox traded for Dominic Fletcher from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-hander Cristian Mena. Fletcher, a 2019 second-round pick, batted .301 with a .791 OPS in his first 28 big league games with Arizona.

Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Dodgers pitching prospect Nick Frasso had labrum repair surgery on his shoulder in November. He will miss most of the 2023 season.

Ardaya also discussed Shohei Ohtani’s rehab from elbow surgery. He will be somewhat limited during spring training, but is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Passan also noted that the Seattle Mariners acquired right-handed relief pitcher Gregory Santos in exchange for White Sox righty, Prelander Berroa, outfielder Zach DeLoach, and the 69th pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block wrote an MMO Free Agent Profile on second baseman/ outfielder, Whit Merrifield

Jorge Eckardt wrote an in-depth analysis on the 2024 NL East positional rankings for the left field position.

On This Date in Mets History

1963: Shea Stadium was officially named in honor of William A. Shea. The stadium’s full name was the William A. Shea Municipal Stadium.

Birthdays: Jeff Gardner (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Phil Maton, Dinelson Lamet Find New Homes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

If you’re a 5-foot-10 left-hander, throwing 100 miles per hour in the 1990s doesn’t compute—more so if you figured out how to throw lefty after breaking your dominant right arm as a child. Billy Wagner and his relatively small frame defied baseball logic. By reaching triple digits on the radar gun with regularity, he was among the best hard-throwing relievers of his time.

Wagner wasn’t merely a flamethrower, he was very effective too. He accumulated 422 saves in his 16-year career, good for sixth all-time. He totaled 1,196 strikeouts and had a 2.31 ERA. He was named an All-Star seven times and reached the postseason seven times.

Wagner locked down games for the Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, and Braves. With Houston, he fanned more than 12 per nine innings. Over two years with Philly, his WHIP was barely over 0.800. But after burning bridges in the city of Brotherly Love, Wagner joined its closest rival and bolstered the Mets’ chances of taking supremacy in the NL East.

Over three-plus seasons in New York, Wagner was an All-Star twice, registered 101 saves, fanned 230 batters, and had a 2.37 ERA with a 1.054 WHIP. His initial year was one of the best of his career, ultimately finishing with 40 saves and a 2.24 ERA for the NL East champs and even garnering Cy Young Award votes.

His next two seasons each started out well but ended in disappointment—first in ’07 when he struggled down the stretch and then in ’08 when he suffered an injury that took him out of action for much of ’09. He returned for just a few appearances as a Met that August before joining the Red Sox. It seemed as if his career was on the verge of petering out, but instead, he rebounded with a solid 2010 performance in Atlanta, posting a 1.43 ERA and 37 saves for the Braves.

Even after being an elite performer in his specialty for more than a decade, Wagner is still waiting to make the Hall. This is not uncommon for relievers. It happened prior to the eventual elections of Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, and Lee Smith. And now it’s happening to Wagner. There’s strong evidence to believe he’ll break through in one of his final two tries on the writer’s ballot. Wagner has picked up support in recent years, with the latest bringing him up to 68.1 percent.

The Case For

The Case Against

Final Thoughts

The post Hall of Fame Case: Billy Wagner appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire of USA Today

Following star closer Edwin Díaz’s devastating patellar tendon injury at the World Baseball Classic, the Mets are in a predicament regarding their closer situation for the 2023 season. They have a couple of viable in-house options with prior closing experience in Adam Ottavino and David Robertson, but they could use a true replacement from outside the organization to fill his role and supplement the bullpen.

The free agent market has run dry at this point in the offseason, so the Mets best option is likely to pivot and explore their options via trade. With that, let’s take a look at five potential closers the Mets should target on the trade market.

Alexis Díaz, CIN

What better way for the Mets to replace Edwin Díaz then with his brother?

Alexis Díaz burst onto the scene as a rookie for the Reds last season, putting up a 1.84 ERA and 1.0 fWAR to go with 10 saves in 59 appearances. He recorded spectacular strikeout numbers along the way, finishing the season with 11.73 K/9. The flamethrowing righty did a fantastic job of limiting hard contact as well, adding to an overall profile and repertoire that is eerily similar to his big brothers’. His control is a bit of a concern as he allowed 4.66 walks per nine, but otherwise Díaz has the makings of an elite closer for years to come.

The main issue regarding Díaz as a trade target for the Mets is price. He is still in pre-arbitration and is under team control through the 2027 season, meaning the Reds have no incentive to give him up without an overpay. The Mets have been reluctant to part with their top prospects under Billy Eppler, but SNY’s Andy Martino has stated in the past that the team inquired about him at last year’s trade deadline. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll double back, but it would make all the sense in the world and would be a natural fit.

Scott Barlow, KC

Scott Barlow has quietly emerged as one of the league’s better relievers over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2021 campaign, Barlow has appeared in 140 games for the Royals and recorded a 2.30 ERA, 3.13 FIP and 10.20 K/9 to go with a 3.0 fWAR and 40 saves. Barlow is also a master of limiting hard contact and getting hitters to chase, which is a product of a lethal one-two punch with his slider and curveball.

Barlow has two years left before he hits free agency and is one of the more logical trade candidates out there. Rumors have swirled about a potential deal this offseason, but his value may still be a bit too high and it’s likely that the Royals hold on to him until closer to the deadline. Regardless, Barlow is a good fit for the backend of the Mets bullpen and is some worth inquiring about as soon as possible.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Bard, COL

Daniel Bard’s story is one of the best in baseball, as he was a key part of the Red Sox’s bullpen in the early 2010s before battling with the yips and retiring in 2017 after bouncing around the minors with a number of organizations. He then came back in 2020 with the Rockies and has essentially held down the fort as their closer ever since.

In 2022, he appeared in 57 games and recorded 34 saves while putting up a 1.79 ERA and 1.8 fWAR. The 37-year-old is among the league’s hardest throwers and consistently induces weak contact while primarily working with his slider and sinker, both of which are plus pitches.

Bard looked likely to be moved at last year’s deadline as perhaps the best reliever available before the Rockies shockingly locked him up with a two-year, $19 million extension. That shouldn’t prevent him from being on the market this year though, and his contract situation may even work in the Mets’ favor if they were to show interest in a deal.

David Bednar, PIT

Acquired in the Joe Musgrove trade, David Bednar returned to his hometown and has been lights-out ever since. In his two years as a Pirate, Bednar has appeared in 106 games and pitched to a 2.40 ERA and 2.57 FIP all while striking out 11.7 batters per nine. The 2022 All-Star, unlike the other pitchers on the list so far, is prone to giving up hard contact but has three dependable pitches and puts hitters away at an impeccable rate while exhibiting great control.

Bednar’s name has unsurprisingly popped up in trade discussions over the last few years as the Pirates continue to rebuild. It would take a haul of epic proportions to acquire him with four years of control left, but the Mets should at least look into it as he is one of the best relievers in the game today.

Kyle Finnegan, WSH

Kyle Finnegan’s name doesn’t typically come up in discussions of the top relievers available on the trade market, but there’s little doubt that he will become a hot commodity as the season inches closer to the deadline. Finnegan became the Nationals’ full-time closer last season after Tanner Rainey went down due to Tommy John Surgery and finished the year with a 3.51 ERA, 0.6 fWAR and 11 saves in 66 games.

Finnegan heavily relies on his sinker, as he throws it 78.8% of the time while averaging 97.0 MPH on it. His velocity is both a gift and a curse, as he has good strikeout numbers but gives up a ton of quality contact and is susceptible to the long ball. He does generate a good amount of ground balls as a sinker-baller though, and his control improved immensely from his previous two seasons in 2022.

Finnegan is a rock-solid bullpen option that likely wouldn’t cost a fortune despite having three years of control left. Interdivision trades are always needlessly complicated, but Finnegan may be worth trying for regardless as an intriguing late-inning option with an encouraging track record.

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Bryce Montes de Oca, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Thursday’s friendly matchup between the Mets and the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team started with a bang and ended with a 6-4 win for the national team at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

On playing for his country’s team, Mets third baseman and Team Venezuela member Eduardo Escobar said that wearing his country’s uniform is “very important for me, because you want to compete with the best players from the best countries.” He said he misses his teammates and being in Mets camp, but “every game is like a Game 7. World Series Game 7” when you have the chance to play for and represent your home country.

Once action got underway in Port St. Lucie, the Venezuelan team put up three runs in the first, thanks in part to a leadoff first pitch tank from Jose Altuve. The Mets and José Butto wound up allowing three first-inning runs, putting the Mets in an almost immediate hole that they would never fully come back from.

Altuve led off the second inning the exact same way, giving the national team a 4-0 lead with only three outs recorded. The Venezuelan team was teeing off on fellow countryman Butto, who was making his first start since a spot in the Mets’ rotation opened up due to Jose Quintana’s injury last week.

Butto was unable to impress to the tune of five earned runs and four walks. After Butto’s departure, the Mets were able to rally and get some runs on the board. Following Butto and Nolan Clenney came Drew Smith, who threw a scoreless inning in the only frame he worked. Next came a trio of relievers who impressed for the Mets on Thursday: Stephen Nogosek, Bryce Montes de Oca, and Grant Hartwig.

Nogosek did not allow a run over two innings, but loaded the bases in his first frame before escaping the jam. In four innings of work this spring, Nogosek has put five runners on, but has escaped every outing unscathed and still has his 0.00 ERA in tact. Nogosek had a duck on every lilypad on the proverbial pond in the fifth inning, but got out of the jam by inducing a Gleyber Torres popup. His second frame went much easier, in which he set the side down in order.

Replacing him was Bryce Montes de Oca, who continued his incredibly impressive spring. De Oca set Andrés Giménez down on what ended up being a 101 mph fastball, a speed he marked three times in his outing.

101 mph with 21 inches of horizontal break from Bryce Montes de Oca to strike out one of the AL’s best players in 2022.

pic.twitter.com/uit3kLAFE4

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 9, 2023

De Oca, much like Nogosek, still has a 0.00 ERA for the spring. Now three innings in, de Oca has hit the three-figure mark in each outing, and has sat down six of the nine outs he’s recorded with the strikeout. The ability to hit triple-digits with insane movement is not something that is common in baseball, and his freakish ability makes him an incredibly attractive option for the Mets’ bullpen this year.

The last of the trio for the Mets was Grant Hartwig, one of the greatest stories in the Mets’ system this year. Speaking to him before the game, Hartwig mentioned that his increase in velocity is from “training smart, training better, and having more freedom in training.” Hartwig went on to dominate in his outing, setting his Venezuelan counterparts down 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

Hartwig topped out at 97, sitting in the 94-96 range while also working in a cutter that he said he had been working on to go along with the slider and change.

Hartwig mentioned that going to 11 pitches in his first at-bat wasn’t in the script of his ideal outing, but he “felt good overall” and was pleased with how his day went. Hartwig, as humble as he is dominant, said he doesn’t have specific goals of reaching the bigs in 2023, or view not cracking the New York team as a failure. After a 2022 that saw him play for every full-season affiliate the Mets have, he is just ready to get back to playing and see what the new season brings for him. If that moment comes calling, he’ll be ready for his chance.

Grant Hartwig says the jump in velo is from
1) Help from the Mets
2) Being shortened up to a reliever
3) Being an adrenaline based pitcher
He didn’t say that making the bigs is his goal for 2023, but if his moment comes, he’ll be ready for it.

— ramsey (@jwr082OO2) March 9, 2023

Talking to a few other arms in Mets camp this year, that seems to be the consensus: whatever happens, it happens. But if that moment arises, you best believe they’ll be ready.

The post Young Mets Relievers Shine In 6-4 Loss To Team Venezuela appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off one of the best seasons we have seen from a closer in Mets history, it’s no surprise Edwin Díaz was ranked number one on MLB Network’s list of the top relief pitchers in baseball right now.

.@MLBNetwork's Top 10 Right Now rollout starts with relievers.

What does your list look like? pic.twitter.com/dROMxM7xxr

— MLB (@MLB) January 11, 2023

Díaz headed up the list, followed by Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians and Milwaukee’s Devin Williams.

Dominant was an understatement for Díaz in 2022. Racking up an All-Star appearance and finishing 9th in NL Cy Young voting, Díaz’ 100+ mph fastball and devastating slider had batters whiffing all season long.

Díaz posted just a 1.31 ERA in 62 appearances, while recording 32 saves and striking out 118 of the 235 batters he faced. Díaz’ advanced stats were off the charts as well, he posted 17.1 K/9, 0.839 WHIP and just 4.9 H/9.

Beyond the stats and success on the mound, Díaz brought an unparalleled fan experience to Citi Field every time he entered the game. Timmy Trumpet playing his song “Narcos” live at the stadium will be one of the best memories of the 2022 season for fans, but it certainly wasn’t the only memory Díaz made along the way last season.

Díaz also closed out the second no hitter in Mets history against the Phillies on April 29th, finishing off an incredible team effort from Tylor Megill, Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez and Seth Lugo.

It might seem like a distant memory to many Mets fans, but Díaz wasn’t always the dominant force he is now in New York. In 2019, Díaz’ first season in Queens, he struggled to adjust to playing in New York. With a 5.59 ERA and 15 homers allowed, it looked bleak for the then-25-year-old coming off a dominant season in Seattle. Showing his work ethic and mental toughness, Díaz overcame those initial struggles and now is one of New York’s most beloved athletes.

Looking forward to 2023, the Metswill bring back set-up man Adam Ottavino and also added veteran reliever David Robertson to help set the table for Díaz. Coming off 32 saves in 2021 and 2022, Díaz has shown continual improvement during his time as a Met, and will look to continue his reign as baseball’s best closer.

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Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets have already had an incredibly active offseason. Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, José Quintana, and Brandon Nimmo are all significant signings, but the team has also taken steps to rebuild its bullpen.

In addition to bringing back Edwin Díaz on a big-money deal, the team also traded for Rays lefty Brooks Raley, signed David Robertson, and acquired several other intriguing arms like Elieser Hernández, Jeff Brigham, Zach Greene, Stephen Ridings, Tayler Saucedo, and William Woods. They also brought back players like Tommy Hunter and Sean Reid-Foley on minor league deals and will have John Curtiss available after he was out all of last season.

The remake of the bullpen was necessary, since nearly all major contributors from last year’s pen (with the exception of Drew Smith) hit free agency this offseason. While the Mets have done well to replace several players that left, they may not yet be done adding arms, according to GM Billy Eppler.

Billy Eppler says he will “stay engaged” in the reliever market.

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) December 14, 2022

You can neve really have enough bullpen arms, and there are still plenty of intriguing names available. Adam Ottavino and Trevor May could make sense as players the team tries to bring back from last year, while Brad Boxberger, Andrew Chafin, Chad Green, Steve Cishek, and others could also fortify the middle innings for New York.

The Mets used 32 pitchers last season, so the bullpen still doesn’t feel complete. Based on Eppler’s comments and the number of useful pitchers still available, it seems likely we should expect to see at least one or two more relievers get signed by the Mets before spring training begins.

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Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Photo by Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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.

The post Free Agent Left-Handed Relievers That The Mets Should Target appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets traded reliever Colin Holderman for Pittsburgh’s Daniel Vogelbach before Friday’s game. It was a deal that caused some divisiveness among Mets fans. On one hand, the Mets filled an important need in the lineup. On the other hand, they gave up someone who’s been one of their better relievers this year, albeit in a small sample size.

There’s no doubt that Vogelbach adds a boost to the lineup, particularly against right-handed pitching. He’s 15th in baseball with a 149 wRC+ against righties this year. Mets’ DHs, meanwhile, have a National League-worst 80 wRC+. With Pete Alonso playing first, Vogelbach slots in perfectly as a DH against righties.

“We wanted to get an offensive player in here, and we think we did that in landing Vogey,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said. “Somebody that’s really excelled against right-handed pitching. We all know that two thirds of the pitchers we face are right-handed. So he can be a presence in the order.”

On the flip side of the deal, they sent the soon-to-be-27-year-old Holderman to the Pirates. In 15 games spanning 17 2/3 innings, Holderman posted a 2.04 ERA with a 9.2 K/9 for the Mets.

Dealing Holderman takes a piece out of the Mets’ bullpen, one which already could have used more help. Edwin Diaz has been nothing short of tremendous in the closer’s role, striking out over half the batters he’s faced. Beyond him, though, the Mets could use some support. Given the recent wobbles of Seth Lugo and Drew Smith, their next-most reliable reliever is Adam Ottavino. Holderman had been a pleasant surprise in the bullpen, but now the Mets won’t have him to lean on.

“I ran through a bunch of different iterations to try to not have to yield Colin in this transaction,” Eppler said. “We had to give them, ultimately, the player that they dug their heels in on.”

Part of Eppler’s reasoning, he said, was that he felt from his preliminary conversations that there were more options on the relief market than the market for bats. As good as Holderman’s been, there are other options as good as or better than him that the Mets could acquire, and the need for a power bat was more pressing.

Relievers like David Robertson, Daniel Bard and Michael Fulmer could be on the move before the trading deadline. There’s a wide range of interesting options the Mets could explore.

It’s also no secret that relievers are fickle, and the chances that Holderman is a 2.00 ERA guy in the long run are pretty low. With the Mets looking for some thump against right-handed pitching, it made sense to trade Holderman while his value was high.

Someone like Robertson could make the backend of the Mets’ bullpen much more formidable. They wouldn’t have to constantly rely on Lugo and Smith to pitch in late-game, high-leverage situations. Robertson handling the eighth with Diaz handling the ninth would be a good start to setting the backend of the bullpen in stone. Another solid reliever beyond that would begin to make the Mets look like one of the scariest bullpens in baseball. But they certainly need at least one more strong addition.

Given the new regime, however, there’s little reason to worry that the Mets are just going to call it a day after the Vogelbach trade. This trade in a vacuum is a net positive, and Eppler made it clear that he understands there’s a wide market for relievers.

Eppler isn’t done, and the Mets look like a team willing to make winning moves.

The post Mets’ Work Not Done After Daniel Vogelbach Trade appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Assuming the baseball season will start at some point, we can surely count on the NL East being one of the more tightly-contested divisions in the league. To get a better sense as to where the Mets’ roster stands, we will be offering positional breakdowns and rankings of each team in the division.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at each team’s bullpen. As unpredictable as they tend to be, it’s the teams that have the least trouble shutting the door late in games that tend to have the most success over the course of a season.

Fortunately for Mets fans, the front office seems to have gotten the memo when it re-signed Brad Brach and brought along Dellin Betances last winter. Just like the division in the bigger picture, however, the bullpens aren’t too far apart from one another, at least not towards the top. Starting from the bottom…

5. Philadelphia Phillies

Hector Neris had a much-needed bounce-back campaign in 2019, and Seranthony Dominguez, when healthy, is a perfect complement at the top of the depth chart. Ranger Suarez could be an intriguing option to work multiple innings.

Go any further down the list, however, and you start to worry for the Phillies.

Specialists Jose Alvarez and Adam Morgan will have to adapt to pitching to more than one or two left-handed hitters per game. It seems unrealistic that either Tommy Hunter or David Robertson makes an impact, if any at all, until much later in the season.

Philadelphia is evidently hoping to get something out of their minor-league signings, but between Anthony Swarzak, Francisco Liriano, Bud Norris, Blake Parker, Drew Storen, and Deolis Guerra, it looks like they’ll need to get way more out of both their offense and starting rotation.

4. Miami Marlins

The Marlins don’t have any one reliever who jumps off the page, but sometimes it’s those kinds of bullpens that wind up surprising you the most.

Yimi Garcia has the spin-rates code cracked, and Adam Conley – the same pitcher who gained six miles per hour on his fastball in one offseason – can surely bounce back from his rough 2019. The Fish also have one of the game’s more flexible relievers in Ryne Stanek, who at one time stood front-and-center in the Tampa Bay Rays’ opener movement. Young flamethrower Elieser Hernandez could potentially thrive in the long-relief role set out for him.

Beneath the wild cards, however, it’s simply an assortment of fillers: their closer, Brandon Kintzler, will turn 36 in August. Hopefully, Marlins fans can get a glimpse of the switch-pitcher Pat Venditte once or twice. It’s sort of a black hole after that.

3. Washington Nationals

Continuing in their initiative to move on from a categorically bad first-half bullpen, the Nationals were quick to re-sign Daniel Hudson, and added longtime Astros setup man Will Harris for good measure.

All told, that duo working beneath Sean Doolittle could be a problem for opposing hitters. The remaining bunch of arms, however, is a mixed bag. Wander Suero and Tanner Rainey both took steps forward in mid-relief roles, but Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland also took steps back, and major ones, at that.

General manager Mike Rizzo did his due diligence seeking out depth options like David Hernandez and Javy Guerra, but if enough relievers beneath their big three struggle, the Nationals are going to find themselves looking at reinforcements for a second consecutive summer.

2. Atlanta Braves

The Braves project to have the seventh-best bullpen in the majors, according to FanGraphs – just two spots behind the Mets. One would expect an improved standing after signing Will Smith, the best reliever among this last class of free agents, but Atlanta’s slowly built a fairly credible group of arms in the last few years.

Mark Melancon and Chris Martin quietly shoved after coming over in the trade deadline (1.83 and 1.65 FIPs, respectively, in nearly 40 combined innings). Luke Jackson and Sean Newcomb have also come into their own as reliable firemen, and you can never go wrong having Darren O’Day at the ready.

The one caveat of the pen’s trajectory is the development (or, potentially, the lack thereof) of their younger pitchers. Some combination of A.J. Minter, Touki Toussaint, and Chad Sobotka will need to pull their weight better than they did in 2019. This is where having one of the more promising crops of young minor-league arms comes in handy.

Relying on repeat performances from aging contact pitchers could have unfortunate consequences, but the Braves still seem to have sufficient plans to address whatever they may run into.

1. New York Mets

The Mets’ relief corps has arguably the highest ceiling among the bullpens in the NL East. Seth Lugo is easily the best late-innings option in the division, and Justin Wilson is a solid high-leverage alternative.

If the organization gets even half of what it expected last season from Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz, the team can surely expect to win 90 games (or at least the abridged-season equivalent). Robert Gsellman and Brad Brach, if given consistent roles, are also promising options at the bottom of the ladder.

Bringing Dellin Betances aboard only adds to this group’s potential, but the results need to show themselves before anything, at least more clearly than they did in the spring. Make no mistake here: the Mets boasting the best bullpen in the division is more of a testament to the other four teams’ holes than the club’s own attributes.

Relievers’ performances fluctuate more often than those of maybe any other species of baseball player, but the same can’t always be said for health. Brach and Diaz were the only pitchers who didn’t spend any time on the injured list in 2019, the latter still pitching through bone spurs in his elbow more-or-less the entire year.

The depth beneath the active set of arms is, for the most part, uninspiring: Daniel Zamora and Tyler Bashlor remain works in progress, and Drew Smith‘s future post-Tommy John surgery remains unclear. Even with a strong front of the line, the Mets’ bullpen is effectively one underperformance and two injuries away from a stressful repeat of last season.

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