Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; National League relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) of the New York Mets speaks during media availabilities at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Allow me to channel my inner Brad Pitt for a second and get this out of the way: “Guys you’re still trying to replace Díaz and we can’t do it. Now what we might be able to do is recreate him, recreate him in the aggregate.” Here is the spoiler to this article, at this current moment in the middle of March, they do not need to trade for Alexis Díaz or David Bednar.

If the Mets did decide to go down the trade route, however, our own Jack Markowski looked at potential trade targets. And, yes, both the younger Díaz and Bednar are included in that list.

Win Probability Added (WPA on FanGraphs) is a cumulative statistic that adds how much win probability a player adds over the course of the season. I like this stat to measure a team’s bullpen and relievers in general because it does not punish relievers for a few bad outings and it gives them more credit than WAR for their in-game contributions.

Relievers have an enormous impact in terms of their ability to sway game by game outcomes and WPA reflects that more than WAR. No reliever really came close in terms of being in the top of the WAR leaderboards, but five out of the top-10 pitchers in terms of WPA were relievers.

Okay, so here is the good news. The Mets bullpen was 11th in baseball in terms of WPA in 2022. Here is the bad news: Edwin Díaz had a 3.60 WPA while everyone else combined for -0.57 WPA. The piece of good news Mets fans can be happy with though is that David Robertson had a 2.63 WPA and Brooks Raley had a 1.09 WPA in 2022. Adam Ottavino had a more mediocre 0.49 WPA but some amount of regression in the positive direction should help the veteran righty. Ottavino had a 1.24 FIP in low leverage spots, a 4.28 FIP in medium leverage spots, and 4.57 FIP in high leverage spots last year. The sample size was quite larger in low leverage spots so one can hope/expect that a more balanced performance in medium and high leverage situations will lead to a higher WPA for Ottavino.

Add that to the fact the Mets have more relievers with options which should help them avoid leaving guys who are struggling on the Major League roster. The bottom of the Mets bullpen combined for a -2.56 WPA, and the regulars like Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Joely Rodriguez, and Drew Smith all had negative WPAs.

Aside from Robertson, Ottavino, and Raley, the Mets will not have a lot of relievers that should and will get a long leash on the roster. For example, I really like John Curtiss but if the Curtiss experiment does not work out, the Mets can be a lot more decisive than they were with say, Seth Lugo. This is why I am not all aboard the Zack Britton train. They have been heavily going in on getting relievers they can cycle through in an attempt to find the best bullpen. Britton feels like a move for the sake of making a move and he could be an arm they hang onto for longer than they should.

The Mets still have a bullpen with effective arms and they can more than hold the fort down until the deadline. Also just looking at the top bullpens from last year, the Astros, Mariners, Yankees, and Dodgers did not have a Díaz type arm in their bullpen. All of those bullpens were built on amassing failed starters, waiver claims, and unearthing arms in trades.

At the end of the day, replacing 60 innings of a high leverage reliever like Díaz is easier than replacing one of their top three starters or one of their top five hitters. The Mets still have high expectations and they should have confidence in their existing high leverage arms to step up to start the season. As Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs shows in his article, the Mets playoff percentage is still at a very high 77.7% and their World Series percentage only dropped 1.4%. The Mets would have been great with Díaz, but they will still manage to be very good without Díaz in 2023.

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Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets will be in attendance as Zack Britton throws a simulated game in California on Thursday, according to John Harper of SNY.

Britton, who is currently a free agent, will be in action at UC-Irvine with around eight teams expected to be there watching, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. And, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post, Britton will also throw a showcase for teams in Miami Gardens on Thursday. The Mets are expected to be in attendance for that too.

This shouldn’t come as a surprising development given that the Mets are currently awaiting news on Edwin Díaz. The star reliever injured his right knee while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. He went down and had to be helped off the field. The Mets confirmed that Díaz will undergo imaging on Thursday.

If the Mets’ worst fears are confirmed and Díaz is ruled out for a substantial amount of time, then there will be a pressing need to add another impact arm to the bullpen.

That could well be Britton, who the Mets have held interest in all offseason. They have attended previous showcases staged by the reliever and, according to Puma, Mets officials were already having a debate about whether to sign Britton even before Díaz went down hurt. It appears now that momentum is building towards the Mets making an offer to Britton. Puma also notes that other available players like Corey Knebel and Will Harris could be in the mix too.

Britton signing for the Mets has always made sense given that he was a favorite of Buck Showalter‘s during their time together with the Baltimore Orioles. Showalter knows the makeup of Britton better than anyone, and he’s also the best available option left on the open market.

Plus, even after trading for Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this offseason, the Mets still lack southpaw depth and signing Britton would go a long way to addressing that weakness on the roster.

The only big question mark over Britton is his health. He has only thrown 38 innings over the last three seasons. He underwent surgery in 2021 to remove bone chips from his elbow and missed months of action as a result. He then required Tommy John Surgery shortly after making his return, missing most of the 2022 season as a direct result.

When Britton did eventually return to the mound, he struggled and allowed six walks and a hit over three games, recording only two outs in the process. The veteran then ended the year on the injured list with arm fatigue. With that in mind, there is a considerable amount of concern over whether or not Britton will be durable going forward.

However, the track record is impressive and if Britton can get back to the filthy stuff he showed before the injuries started to pile up, then he could become a real weapon out of the bullpen for the Mets. From 2014 to 2020, he recorded an impressive 1.82 ERA over 367.1 innings. He was almost un-hittable and his deadly sinker and slider combo helped to establish his reputation as one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

You can read our Free Agent Profile of Britton here. 

If Britton can prove he is healthy and capable of throwing filthy stuff on Thursday, then it does seem likely that the Mets will finally make their move for a lefty reliever they have long admired. And the urgency for such a move could be accelerated if the front office receive bad news on Díaz today.

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Zack Britton. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

As was reported on February 15, the New York Mets were one of the teams that watched veteran relief pitcher Zack Britton‘s showcase. That was not the first time there was a reported Mets and Britton connection either. Back in January, the Mets were also reported as being interested. Add in the well-known fact that Buck Showalter and Britton have history together in Baltimore, all these reports make sense. With all that being said, the question must be asked: is this a necessary move for New York to make?

Of course, it would be a risky one. Britton’s injury history is well documented. He has only pitched 38 innings since 2019. More specifically, only 19 innings between 2021 and 2022 and he allowed a woeful 18 hits and 13 earned runs over that time.

Among all these struggles, Britton underwent Tommy John surgery on September 9, 2021, as well as got bone chips removed from his pitching elbow. When he finally did come back, he was shut down for arm fatigue. Bottom-line, he is a huge question mark.

Though, what is so intriguing about Britton is that he was one of the premier relief pitchers in the major leagues before his injury issues started in 2020. From 2014 through 2020, Britton logged five sub-2.00 ERA seasons. The almost exclusively sinker-ball pitcher was elite for almost six-straight seasons. Most recently, being just two and three years ago in 2019 (1.91 ERA in 61 1/3 innings) and 2020 (1.89 ERA in 19 innings), respectively. This before he was derailed by the aforementioned elbow issues.

How Would He Fit?

The Mets’ bullpen is getting closer and closer to becoming a finalized unit. Though, given normally teams carry anywhere from seven-to-eight relief pitchers on their roster, a spot or two may still be up for grabs. For context, here is how the unit currently stands:

• Closer: Edwin Díaz
• Set-Up: David Robertson
• 7th-8th Inning: Adam Ottavino
• Middle Relief: Drew Smith
• Left-Handed Option: Brooks Raley
• Long-Relief/Spot-Starter: David Peterson / Joey Lucchesi / Elieser Hernández

As mentioned above, this leaves one or two more spots to be filled. Of course, the Mets have other internal options such as Jeff Brigham, Sam Coonrod, John Curtiss, Zach Greene, Bryce Montes de Oca, Stephen Nogosek, and Stephen Ridings. Though, the common theme among all these possibilities are they are all right handed. So, a move for Britton can theoretically still make sense.

Britton would give the Mets a second, true left-handed relief option. Of course, both Peterson and Lucchesi are left-handed, but have almost been exclusively used as starters throughout their careers.

Zack Britton. Photo credits: USA Today

Why The Move Would Be Unnecessary 

Again, the reported interest from the Mets regarding Britton makes sense. Though, as outlined above, a move would bring a ton of risk. Per Fangraph’s crowd-sourced projections, the 35-year-old Britton is projected to sign a $5-million deal over one season. Despite money not exactly being an issue for the Mets, would it be wise to invest around $5 million in a guy at the twilight of his career and who is trying to re-establish himself after injury?

Also, despite potentially having a spot or two still to be decided, there are about seven different names who can potentially fill those roles. You would hope that through spring training at least one or two of those potential options can emerge and round out a pretty strong group.

Further, despite currently only having one true left-handed option, it appears, given the current state of the rotation, either Peterson or Lucchesi should be able to fill that second left-handed relief role. So, do the Mets really need to take that risk on Britton given all their internal options?

At the end of the day, if the Mets brought in Britton it would not be an awful move. There is upside there, especially if Britton can find anywhere near the form he was pre-surgery. Though, with what the Mets currently have, and the potential opportunity cost of using a struggling Britton when there are several other likely serviceable options in house, a deal just seems unnecessary.

The post Would Zack Britton Be An Unnecessary Add For The Mets? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports that Jacob deGrom has felt some tightness in his left side recently. Given the cold weather and how early it is in camp, the training staff is holding him back a day or two. It’s a tough start to camp for the Rangers’ new ace, whose career has been slowed by injuries as of late.

Latest Mets News

Latest MLB News

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reports that Trevor Story says the best case scenario is a second half return. The worst case is he doesn’t play this season. But he’s feeling good and expects to be back in 2023. Story underwent right elbow surgery in January after having his 2022 season cut short due to injuries (94 games).

Latest on MMO

On This Date in Mets History

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Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets have done well to keep their bullpen strong this offseason. In addition to re-signing Edwin Díaz and Adam Ottavino, the team brought in veteran David Robertson, as well as lefty Brooks Raley from Tampa Bay. Additionally, the team has bolstered its depth by acquiring several lower-level relievers like Elieser Hernández and Zach Greene.

The Mets, as it stands, should have a competitive bullpen, but you can never have too many arms. To account for injuries, possible regression from some players, and the loss of Seth Lugo and Trevor May, the Mets may look to add another reliever or too before the start of the season.  In fact, Billy Eppler said on Tuesday that the Mets were “engaged” in the free agent bullpen market.

Here are some of the players the Mets could still target at this point in the offseason.

Zack Britton

The Mets have been linked to former Orioles closer Zack Britton for much of the offseason. Britton, who previously played for Buck Showalter in Baltimore, is not the dominant force he once was and has pitched just 38 innings since 2020, but could still provide value in the right situation. The Mets would be hoping Britton can return to health and rediscover his old form.

Michael Fulmer

Former Mets prospect Michael Fulmer would be a solid pickup to bolster the New York bullpen. Fulmer transitioned from a starting pitching role into a relief one in 2021 and has turned his career around. Fulmer pitched to a 3.39 ERA last season with the Tigers and Twins and was even better in the 2021 season. Fulmer is also still only 29-years-old.

Andrew Chafin

Many thought Andrew Chafin would be an option for the Mets last season, but they ended up trading for Joely Rodriguez to serve as the team’s lefty instead to poor results. Chafin was his usually solid self in Detroit last season pitching to a 2.83 ERA while walking 19 and striking out 67. Chafin is one of the most realistic options for the Mets, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that New York was among the teams interested.

Brad Hand

Former Met Brad Hand was a solid contributor to the Phillies bullpen last season but is still without a home for the 2023 season. Hand was impressive in his short stint in Queens in 2021 and is a veteran lefty with late-inning experience. Hand compiled a 2.80 ERA last season in Philly with an ERA+ of 146.

Will Smith

Just two years ago, Will Smith saved 37 games for the World Series champion Braves. Last season was a step down for Smith, though he did win his second straight championship after being traded to the Astros for Jake Odorizzi. Smith pitched in 65 total games a year ago with a 3.97 ERA and a 102 ERA+.

Aroldis Chapman

Seeing Aroldis Chapman in blue and orange would be bizarre, and his off-the-field history alone could be reason enough for the Mets to steer clear. Still, while Chapman is far from the pitcher he was when he signed a five-year, $86 million deal with the Yankees, he could still prove to be an effective reliever if he rediscovers his stuff, and his confidence.

Corey Knebel

Corey Knebel was the Phillies closer early in the 2022 season but he suffered through numerous injuries and ended up missing the entire postseason run. Knebel is a buy-low option who may not even be healthy for the start of the season but could come in handy if he can stay on the field later in the season.

Alex Colomé

Alex Colomé didn’t exactly have a career year last season in Colorado, pitching to a 5.74 ERA in 47 innings. Still, he may be worth taking a flyer on. Colomé had a 0.81 ERA in the shortened 2020 season for the White Sox and has saved as many as 37 games in his career. It’s possible he’s in line for a bounceback season once he gets away from Coors Field and would make for a solid middle-innings option for Epplerand the Mets.

Other

Aside from the names listed, other options include Ian Kennedy, Trevor Rosenthal, Alex Reyes, Archie Bradley, Matt Moore, Justin Wilson, and Bryan Shaw.

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Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets signed Tommy Pham to a one-year, six million dollar deal. The Mets have not confirmed the deal yet, as there still needs to be a physical. If confirmed, Pham will serve as the Mets’ fourth outfielder. Chris Bello has more on the story.

Additionally, Tomás Nido and the New York Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $3.7 million contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal, which covers Nido’s remaining arbitration years, pays $1.6 million in 2023 and $2.1 million in 2024.

Now, it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

The Mets added four more people to their franchise Hall of Fame yesterday. The new members include Al Leiter, Howard Johnson, and broadcasters Gary Cohen and Howie Rose. Ross Bentley has more on the story.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Mets are interested in Andrew Chafin and Zack Britton.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Keith Hernandez’s contract talks with SNY have been on hold (they were initially scheduled to resume last week). However, talks are expected again soon. The two sides were a distance apart on contract terms following an initial offer to Hernandez before the holidays.

Ronny Mauricio finished his Dominican Winter League MVP campaign by scoring the winning run in the title-clincher for Licey. Jacob Resnick of MLB Pipeline has video below.

Ronny Mauricio caps his Dominican Winter League MVP campaign by scoring the winning run in the title-clincher for Licey.

Electric stuff. pic.twitter.com/tGBa3boKBo

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) January 19, 2023

Latest MLB News

Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports that Ashley Stephenson is joining the Blue Jays organization this year as a minor-league coach in Vancouver after a decorated career playing for Canada’s women’s national baseball team.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports that John Coppolella hasn’t spoken publicly since he resigned as Braves GM in 2017 (until now). Stark and Nick Groke looked at how his suspension changed his life, what MLB saw to reinstate him and whether he’ll ever work in baseball again.

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reports that veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a minor league deal. He’ll earn a $3MM salary if he makes the big league roster. 

Latest on MMO

Ross Bentley covers six Mets prospects in the Baseball America top 100 rankings.

Ross Bentley also covers Jeff McNeil being contacted to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic for the United States.

On This Date in Mets History

1972: Yogi Berra was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Birthdays: Jon Matlack (73)

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Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets reportedly have interest in relief pitcher Zack Britton, according to the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman.

Though the Mets could not come to terms with Carlos Correa after three weeks of negotiating, the Mets are still looking to round out the 2023 roster. Britton, 35, would be a high-risk, high-reward signing if the Mets gave him any sizable money.

That’s because Britton has had an injury-filled last two seasons–both with the Yankees. In 2021, Britton missed months after surgery that removed a bone chip from his elbow. Once he returned, he struggled, pitching to a 5.89 ERA (5.46 FIP) over 18.1 innings, but it turns out he needed Tommy John surgery. That caused him to miss most of 2022, returning at the end of the regular season. However, he did not perform well, struggling to throw a strike. He allowed six walks and a hit over three games, during which he only recorded two outs. He ended the year on the injured list with arm fatigue and didn’t pitch in the playoffs.

That risk could be mitigated with an incentive-laden deal. The upside is there, as he was one of the best relievers in all of baseball in the seven seasons prior to his injury. Part of those were spent in Baltimore with Buck Showalter as his manager. (Britton even says he doesn’t hold a grudge against Showalter for his non-use of Britton in the 2016 playoffs.)

From 2014 to 2020, the lefty had a minuscule 1.82 ERA (2.93 FIP) over 367.1 innings. There haven’t been any reported teams linked to Britton over the offseason, though Heyman said the Mets are “among teams” that have interest.

Read our free agent profile of Britton here.

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Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a historic 2022-2023 Mets and we still haven’t reached the New Year. They have re-signed and added numerous MLB stars and could potentially add Carlos Correa as their third baseman.

With all of these signings, including Correa, the Mets are estimated to have a $384 million payroll, and close to $500 million after competitive balance taxes are included.  While a normal owner wouldn’t spend another dime, Steve Cohen is a different animal, and will most likely spend more.

Down below, wee highlighted the top remaining free agents available ahead of the 2023 season and how they fit on the current Mets roster.

AJ Pollock

AJ Pollock had a down year for the Chicago White Sox in 2022. He recorded a 91 OPS+ and .389 slugging percentage in 138 games. However, Pollock slashed .286/.316/.619/.935 against lefties in 2022 and clubbed 11 home runs in 126 at-bats against south-paws.

Adam Duvall

Adam Duvall had a forgettable 2022 season after only playing in 86 games due to injury. He is a perfect bounce-back candidate for the Mets, due to his home run prowess and ability to play all three outfield positions. Duvall was also fantastic in the 2021 season, where he clubbed 38 home runs and led the NL with 113 RBI.

Andrew McCutchen

Andrew McCutchen had an average season with the Brewers in 2022. He recorded a 99 OPS+ and hit 17 home runs. However, McCutchen recorded a respectable .316 OBP and 4 DRS in left field last season. He could provide the Mets with veteran leadership in the clubhouse and would be the cheapest option out of the remaining outfielders.

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer has come a long way since winning the rookie of the year in 2016. He made the switch to the bullpen in 2020 and put up respectable numbers between the Tigers and Twins in 2022. Fulmer recorded a 3.39 ERA and 113 ERA+ in 63 2/3 innings in 2022 and would be a solid add for the Mets, who originally drafted him in 2011.

Zack Britton

Zack Britton has missed significant time the past two seasons due to a bone chip in his elbow and Tommy John surgery. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Britton is looking for a one-year deal before the 2023 season. Britton could reunite with his old manager Buck Showalter in Queens and rebuild his numbers in low-leverage situations.

Trey Mancini

Trey Mancini had an eventful season in 2022. He was traded mid-season by a Baltimore team in the playoff race and then won a World Series with the Astros after slashing a miserable .176/.258/.364/.622 in Houston. While he is projected to make the most money out of the noted free agents, Mancini fits the profile that the Mets have been looking for out of the DH position. He clubbed 114 home runs during his tenure in Baltimore and has played for Buck Showalter in the past.

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Zack Britton

Age: 34
B/T: L/L

2022 Traditional Stats: 3 G, 0-0, 0.2 IP, 13.50 ERA, 10.500 WHIP, 1 SO, 6 BB
2022 Advanced Stats: 46 ERA+, 27.11 FIP, 13.5 SO/9, 11.1 SO%, 66.7% BB, -0.1 WAR

Rundown

Zack Britton was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2011 and recorded a 4.61 ERA with 97 strikeouts in just over 154 innings. It took the lefty a few years to find his feet in the big leagues but, when he did, the results were hugely impressive.

From 2014 to 2020, Britton carved out a reputation for being one of the best relievers in all of baseball and he was untouchable at times. He posted a stellar 1.65 ERA in 2014 with 37 saves in 76 1/3 innings with 62 strikeouts. He then followed that up with a 1.92 ERA to go along with 36 saves and 79 strikeouts in 2015, earning his first-trip to the All-Star Game.

Britton’s best season to date came in 2016. He was pretty much invincible as he recorded a career-high 47 saves with an impressive 0.54 ERA. Britton also struck out 74 batters and walked just 18 on his way to becoming an All-Star for the second-straight year. He also finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting and 11th in AL MVP voting. The lefty was crowned both the 2016 AL Rivera Reliever of the Year, and the 2016 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year.

Following another solid year in 2017, Britton was traded to the New York Yankees in July 2018 for pitching prospects Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers and Cody Carroll. As he did in Baltimore, Britton dominated in The Big Apple as he finished the 2018 season with a 2.88 ERA in 25 games in the pinstripes, before posting a 1.91 ERA the following season. And Britton continued to produce the goods in 2020, recording eight saves and finishing the COVID-19 shortened season with a mighty-fine 1.89 ERA.

During his time with both the Orioles and the Yankees, Britton displayed time and time again that he had filthy stuff and could come up clutch in high-leverage situations. He absolutely dominated over a number of years and was a lethal weapon out of the bullpen. Relying on a deadly sinker and slider combo, Britton earned his reputation as one of the best and most reliable relievers in baseball in recent years.

However, things began to fall off a cliff for Britton after the 2020 season. He posted a bloated 5.89 ERA in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Britton did return in 2022 but struggled in three games with a 13.50 ERA before eventually being shut down for the year because of left arm fatigue. He has pitched just 38 innings since the 2020 season and hasn’t really had his best stuff since 2020.

Contract 

There is no doubt that Britton’s value is at an all-time low. After all, he has hardly pitched since 2020 and, when he has, the results were far from pretty. As a result, the veteran faces a prove-it year in 2023 and he will probably have to take a contract that reflects that harsh reality.

It is believed that Britton is seeking a one-year deal in 2023 and the average annual salary is going to be low. While the last couple of years have been concerning, the lefty reliever’s overall resume is impressive and it could well prove to be a low-risk, high-reward type of deal for any team in need of bolstering their bullpen.

Recommendation 

Despite signing star closer Edwin Díaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, and then signing veteran reliever David Robertson to a one-year, $10 million deal, the Mets still need plenty of reliever help. There’s plenty of question marks over this bullpen as it is currently constituted and, as we’ve seen time and time again, you can’t win without a very good to elite bullpen.

Britton could tick a lot of boxes for the Mets. For starters, he’s a lefty arm and that is something this team has needed for quite some time. Britton would finally tick that box and would bring some much-needed balance to the bullpen.

Secondly, the 34-year-old was one of the best relievers in all of baseball not that long ago and he still had filthy stuff in 2020. He’s proven on the biggest stage having excelled in New York with the Yankees and Britton would bring an absolute wealth of experience to this Mets bullpen. He’s also allegedly considered a highly-respected leader in the clubhouse and he would be the perfect fit for the type of culture this organization is trying to build under manager Buck Showalter.

Of course, the injuries are a concern as is the fact that Britton has hardly pitched since 2020 and he’s struggled since undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, the body of work is there and the talent is clearly still there. If Britton can stay healthy in 2023, then he could be a real nice upgrade for this bullpen and provide the elite lefty arm that the Mets have long craved. This team is ready to win now and adding a tried and tested and vastly experienced reliever would only bolster their chances of enjoying success next year. Plus, Britton will come cheap this off-season and he could represent incredible value if he’s able to stay healthy in 2023 and get back to the formidable pitcher he was only a few years ago.

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Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Joseph, the seven-year Major League catcher who played in 425 regular-season games with the Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays from 2014 to 2020, knew that his value would be in his leadership skills and defensive acumen.

From 2014 through the 2017 season, Joseph recorded 39 defensive runs saved behind the dish. Among catchers, only Buster Posey (+50) and Martín Maldonado (+47) posted more defensive runs saved in that span.

Much of Joseph’s defensive prowess came from his ability to get called strikes on close pitches in the zone. From 2015-2017, Joseph converted 48.7 percent on non-swing pitches into called strikes in the shadow zone (essentially the edge of the strike zone), the 11th-highest mark among 33 catchers with a minimum of 5,000 pitches that were taken in that zone.

Joseph also had a penchant for throwing out baserunners, leading the American League in caught stealing percentage in his rookie year in 2014 (40.4%) and posting a career rate of 31.3%.

Though Joseph wasn’t known as a force at the plate, he did have one stretch where he made quite an impact. In August 2014, Joseph homered in five straight games, becoming the first Orioles catcher to do so in franchise history. He also became just the 15th catcher to homer in five consecutive games.

The veteran catcher spent time with the New York Mets during spring training in 2021 but was ultimately released from his split contract in early May. Though his time in the organization was brief, Joseph, 35, was impressed with the club and the way it was heading.

He’s even more convinced that the Mets are heading in the right direction after the club hired veteran manager Buck Showalter to a three-year contract this offseason. Joseph knows Showalter well, as he was his first big league manager and spent five seasons with him in Baltimore.

When asked about his overall thoughts on Showalter as a manager, Joseph isn’t short on praise and adulation for his former manager. Joseph describes Showalter as the “the smartest X’s and O’s baseball manager” he has ever been around, and someone that knows all of the intricacies of the game.

I had the privilege of speaking with Joseph, where we discussed his development as a catcher, his plus framing, and thoughts on Showalter as a manager.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Joseph: I’m from Nashville, Tennessee, and I was a Braves fan. I grew up with the early-to-mid nineties Braves’ teams that included guys like Jeff Blauser, Mark Lemke, David Justice, and both Joneses.

My favorite player was probably Fred McGriff. The whole helicopter swing was something else. I loved that, even though I’m a right-handed hitter. I was drawn to that big home run hitter in McGriff. I got to meet him a couple of years ago and developed a friendship, so that was really cool.

All we had here in Nashville was TBS; this was long before the availability of all of these teams. You kind of got stuck with either the Cubs or the Braves. Being three-plus hours from Atlanta, it was the Braves for us.

MMO: At what point during your development as a player did you start to focus more on catching?

Joseph: I went to college basically as a shortstop. When I first got there, they were unsure if I was going to be drafted, so they went ahead and signed another kid to play shortstop as well as a junior college transfer. He was a really good shortstop.

There were a couple of scouts that saw some potential, and started telling me, “You could probably do this as a catcher.”

I realized quickly that I wasn’t the fastest guy and didn’t have the best range. So a guy that can sort of hit and has good hands but can’t run and not the best arm of all time probably ends up at catcher.

It ended up working out, and that’s how I ended up behind the plate.

MMO: I read that Lipscomb University was the same school your father and grandfather attended and played ball at. Can you talk about your decision to go to Lipscomb, and what attending after your grandfather and father meant to you?

Joseph: In all honesty, I tried not to go there. I wanted to be an SEC-type player, and Vanderbilt is right down the street. At that point in 2005, they were not the Vanderbilt that we know now; putting out major leaguer after major leaguer. They were sort of in the basement of the SEC, so I felt like that might be a good spot.

The University of Tennessee was obviously intriguing, and Arkansas had talked to me a little bit. I tried to go somewhere else, but it just didn’t work out. A few things fell apart last minute with a number of clubs, and Lipscomb was always the safety net.

It was one of those, I tried not to go there but it ended up that it was probably best that I was there, type of thing. Looking back, it all worked out as the ultimate goal for me was to play professionally.

I went there and had an amazing coach in Jeff Forehand, who has been a mentor to me and a really close friend. I learned a lot from him, and I really grew up there, and I was comfortable with the facilities. It was a really smooth transition, and I think that really helped with my baseball performance because I was only 25 minutes from home. I was so comfortable at Lipscomb it was almost like I had just graduated high school into an additional high school.

We had some good teams there, and a few major leaguers were on that team, like Rex Brothers and Josh Smith. We won the A-Sun championship in 2008 and made it to the tournament for the first time in school history the year before in 2007.

We had a lot of good teams and won a lot. [I] made a lot of good friends, and it was exactly where I should’ve been.

MMO: After getting drafted in the seventh round by the Orioles in 2008 until the time you made your major league debut in 2014, were there any key adjustments you made in the minors to aid you in your overall development?

Joseph: The funny thing about that entire process was I was kind of known as a hitter who couldn’t catch. They tried for a couple of years moving me around as a utility guy that could catch; there were a couple of years I played some left field and first base.

I had a guy named Don Werner who played with Johnny Bench back in the day, and he was the catching coordinator in Baltimore. He never gave up on me and really believed that I could catch in the big leagues. We worked really hard and just continued to try and get better every day and hone in on some of those skills.

I kind of blinked and found myself stalling out in Double-A. I spent four years there, and I just wasn’t quite sure.

The biggest adjustment I made in 2013 was I had been a short-stride guy and I had power, but I wasn’t really trying to. And 2013 came around, and I developed a leg kick and really tried to hit the ball over the outfielder’s head or over the fence. Something about that leg kick just clicked, and I ended up having a breakout season hitting.

I was catching Zack Britton all those years as a starter (in the minors). And you can imagine a 95-97 mph sinkerballer trying to figure out how to throw a sinker. You’ve got a lot of 40-to-50-foot pitches. I don’t know if that was one of the contributing factors to making them think I couldn’t catch because it’s impossible to block a 97-mph sinker in the dirt, as a lot of fans have probably seen in New York with Jeurys Familia. Maybe they thought this guy can’t catch because the balls are always going to the backstop.

I really honed in on some skills, and I found a way to get back on the map in terms of offense, and then some things on defense shored up.

I was so excited to get promoted to Triple-A in 2014, and then I blinked and three weeks into the season Matt Wieters had the arm injury, and I found myself in the big leagues. I took advantage of an injury and ended up staying for a little bit.

MMO: Your defense was certainly your calling card. You threw out a ton of baserunners and graded extremely well in pitch framing. Was framing something you took pride in, and how would you work on that skill?

Joseph: I found it hilarious, and still do to this day, in that what they (Orioles) said I was probably inefficient at ended up being what kept me in the big leagues for so long in my ability to catch and run a staff. I take great pride in game planning, preparation, and getting to get the most out of those pitchers.

I felt like I always had soft hands; I felt like I could receive the ball well, so of course, just continuing to hone in on some of those skills to present the balls as best as I could and not necessarily trick the umpire but just have a good relationship with them. To make those close pitches look like strikes and definite balls, just throw them back. [Laughs.]

It just kind of worked out, but I always felt like I could catch in the big leagues; I wasn’t sure if hitting was going to be the same. It’s ironic that some of the upper management thought the opposite. I’m not as surprised; I always thought I could catch in the big leagues, and of course, I hoped I was going to hit in the big leagues. But I believed I could catch.

So, continue to work on all of that stuff daily and find a couple of drills and a couple of key movements or key actions to really focus on, and make sure you’re hitting the pocket of the mitt each and every time. Usually, the ball frames itself when you hit it in the pocket. It sounds simple, but it’s a lot harder than people think. I have a couple of kids doing lessons right now, and we talk about the pocket and make it really pop and get that glove to snap. They look at me like, “I’m a catcher, of course I can catch the ball!”

I’m talking about a very specific part in the mitt; it’s way harder than people think. Even a kid that’s committed to going to Vanderbilt here in Nashville, a high school kid, and he’s a really good catcher, but it’s taken almost two and a half-three weeks to get him in the pocket consistently.

If you have the right keys that you’re looking for, usually the result happens naturally. Stuff like that in which you start honing in on and take great pride in and you blink, and you end up a decent framer.

MMO: Were you a player that utilized the advanced metrics and tech to enhance your game?

Joseph: I think they had the information in Baltimore, but it just wasn’t necessarily relayed to me freely. I never asked for it. I didn’t know how in-depth it was in terms of being able to be measured in all those framing metrics until I went to Arizona in 2019. That was the first time I had seen my advanced metric ratings for my entire career.

I always thought I was pretty good, I mean, I’d just sit back there and go, ‘Man, I feel like I got four or five pitches tonight that might normally be called balls.’ Or the reverse where I didn’t think I had a good game.

I just tried to measure off what my eyes told me. I felt like I was pretty good. The umpires had great things to say about the way I caught the ball, they got good looks, and pitchers never complained.

I went to Arizona and realized, wow, there are several years where I was good! And then I went, it makes sense now how you cannot be the greatest hitter and still provide value. You start realizing WAR and all the advanced metrics that kind of start to paint a fuller picture as to what a guy that’s going to catch 60-85 games looks like, and how they can bring value if it’s not with the bat.

We were big on defense back there with Buck, and we had a couple of guys who came in like Nick Hundley in 2014. I only had one year where I had the lion’s share of playing time, and that was 2015. Then you saw some offensive numbers start to slowly creep up, but I think if you look back, I only had over 250 at-bats just a few times.

It’s just so impossible to do anything with irregular at-bats in the big leagues, and so, my focus was to provide really good defense and help some of those pitchers out. I wasn’t catching [Jacob] deGrom and [Max] Scherzer and Taijuan Walker; I was catching lower-profile guys, so we’d have to really get the most out of them to get through these A.L. East games. I took great pride in that.

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

That was my number one job. I wish I maybe would’ve focused a little bit more on the offense, knowing what I know now, that a lot of that value is based on offense, which I learned very, very quickly in arbitration. You can be one of the best defenders in the league and you’re still going to be evaluated on your offense.

Either way, once I started learning that, it took a whole new life in terms of understanding the value of certain pitches, how you score, how your score is docked, all of these different things. And then you start focusing on certain aspects and elements.

What’s wild is once I started figuring out those numbers, I actually hit a blip where I didn’t do as well as I had not knowing the [advanved] numbers. I found that incredibly interesting. Knowing that stuff really gives you an idea and paints a nice picture, but at the end of the day, when I step back and stick to those key points and elements, usually, the end result just happens.

MMO: As a veteran catcher who takes great pride in his framing abilities, what are your thoughts on the potential for robo umps?

Joesph: I understand the argument and I understand where people would want that. I understand the ability to get it right, quote-unquote, every time.

I love it when umpires get things right and the game is just unbiased. But I lean on the side of the home plate umpire. There are instances where it is blatant, and a guy is just not having a good day. More times than not, they do have pretty good days.

I just think the aesthetics of the game will look totally different if you start adding in that robot umpire. Guys aren’t going to be worried about the aesthetics of making it look presentable or okay; they’re just going to be back there and blocking the ball.

Just imagine these hitters back there; I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were catchers that went on two knees down, especially if there’s nobody on base. And people might say it’s not about what it looks like, just get it right. And I understand.

For the purist in me, I love a lot of the rule changes, and I’m all about the data and enjoy cleaning up a lot of the gray in the game. I’m totally fine with the extra-inning guy on second base; I’m good with the DH in both leagues. I’m just not sure about this one aesthetically.

I’m all about the check swing thing, by the way. If you want to add in a robot to determine check swings, I’m all for that. You can’t ask a guy 110 feet away at a base to make a decision. And how in the world is an umpire supposed to watch a pitch and the batter at the same time?

I love when a pitcher throws a pitch in a very defined spot and the catcher catches it very crisply and cleanly. I think that’s what people are used to seeing. I know the game changes and evolves. There would be nothing worse than a breaking ball that clips the bottom of the virtual box and some catcher catching it and dragging their glove down to the dirt, and it’s called a strike. It just wouldn’t seem right.

MMO: As much as I want the calls to be correct, I do feel like instituting the robo umps will take away some of the elements of skill that catchers have in their framing abilities.

Joseph: Oh, yeah. I’m sort of living proof of that, to be honest with you. There’s been a lot of weird tweaks and changes in the last five years that I think teams are starting to experiment with. They go in waves and it’s a copycat league, so you have quite a few teams that are molding their philosophies after other philosophies.

I provided nice defense in terms of pitch framing, and I was excellent at throwing out runners and blocking balls. I think just about every bit of my value is from defense. Nothing changed, and you can look at some numbers and metrics, but when the quantity of those opportunities goes down, it’s hard to really score.

You’re at the mercy of where one game behind the plate can set you back with a bad umpire, and you’re not doing anything wrong. One game can set you back, and if you don’t have enough opportunities to make it up and score, it’ll look like your skills are diminishing. Especially if they’re looking at the offensive side in a backup position.

I can’t believe there was a two- or three-year wave where it seemed like some of these teams were focused on a hitter in that position that’s going to play once or twice a week. Good grief, it is damn near impossible to hit in the big leagues anyway, much less when you’re getting four to eight at-bats a week!

If you know of any teams looking for a good defensive catcher, let me know! I’m still in great shape, and I still want to keep going, but with that shift in philosophy for some of these teams, it’s kind of squished some of the opportunities out for guys like me.

They’ve given some of those opportunities to younger prospects that have a nice bat. That’s another thing. Going with all the data that these teams are so data-driven in terms of their pitch calling, the experience of running a staff and sequencing and knowing the league, some of that has been diminished, too.

You add those factors when it comes to, here’s the wristband, call the pitches on this wristband and we’re good; we’re going to play the numbers. They’re entitled to do that; it’s their organization, and they’re in charge.

You add that element and the fact that they’re looking for more of a bat, you have guys like me that get pushed out very, very quickly.

MMO: You’d hate to see veteran catchers who have quality leadership skills and offer more intangibles than can be quantified losing jobs.

Joseph: Yeah, especially when you grew up watching guys like Chad Moeller and Gregg Zaun, and a lot of these second-tier backups play 10-15 years in the big leagues doing exactly what you talked about.

When I came up in 2014, it was really difficult to get in the league because if you didn’t have experience back there, it was the most sought-out thing in baseball. When I was in the minor leagues, the experience behind the plate was important, and I used to always ask myself, how in the world am I going to get a job if I don’t have any experience? And how am I going to get experience if I don’t have a job?

And now, good grief, kids are coming up that spend two and a half years in the minor leagues, and they’re just slapping a wristband on them and saying, “Go get them, buddy.”

They’re just playing numbers games, so it not only hurts the catcher not being able to truly read swings, but you start boxing pitchers in. That’s the biggest thing that I can’t get over: you start boxing pitchers in.

I had this thing with a pitcher in Seattle. They wanted him to throw 90 percent sliders. He’s got a good slider, but first off, 90 percent sliders are unstainable for anybody’s elbow. There’s nobody that has a bionic arm; deGrom had the most bionic arm I’ve ever seen, and even he’s kind of having trouble with some stuff. That’s unsustainable, period. The stress it created on that player was visible, and I had to talk to him last year in Seattle as, I guess I was a bullpen catcher, glorified bullpen catcher. And if he didn’t have that pitch, he had nowhere to go.

Imagine a guy coming into a high-leverage situation and having one pitch to go to. What if it doesn’t show up there? That’s exactly why you have a veteran catcher to be able to walk guys through these games. I don’t care how old you are, they’re back there and seeing the shape of your pitch, they’re seeing the location and all this stuff. Sometimes you have to call the wrong pitch in the wrong count to get a guy back on track because if you keep going down that road, you know what that ends up looking like. That looks like 3.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 walks, 5 runs, and the bullpen is getting crushed the next day.

There are so many times when we had some of those games. I found a way with some of the starters I’ve had over the years to get five innings and save the bullpen by totally scrapping that game plan because we didn’t have what we thought we were before the game started.

When you go into battle and go into war, the best plan is only as good as the first shot. And the first time the first shot is fired, then all hell breaks loose. That’s exactly what happens in a baseball game. You have no idea if they’re going to come out and ambush the pitcher and they’re going to start attacking first pitch. You might have to do this, you might have to do that, and all this stuff. The wristband can’t predict that; it can’t read that. It’s just kind of giving you spots and places to go.

Now, what I will say is, when you’re in-between pitches as a catcher, it is unbelievable to have the numerical data at your disposal. It helps to create a gut feeling. All that numerical stuff helps to create a gut feeling. When you’re in-between pitches and in a good spot in the game, knowing you’ve got an 80% pitch as opposed to a 15-20% pitch, I love that! I loved some of these teams that I was with knowing where your safe spot is due to the data. That’s a good way to prevent some of these big and long innings. You’re not throwing it out the window totally but using it as a tool.

Some teams are hanging in there with it and some teams are totally sold by it. It’s all their prerogative and style, but I think some of the teams that are getting it right are using a blend. If you lean one way too heavy, you’re probably in the wrong spot. You don’t use the data, you’re in a bad spot. You totally use data, you become predictable. You can figure out quickly what those pitchers are trying to do to the hitters, and now the approach becomes easier.

I like talking about having insurance policies all over the place for pitchers. Can you do this? Are you just an up fastball, slider below guy? That’s fine; that’s on a great day. But I want to create something for you that when you don’t have that explosive fastball or that slider is not biting, how can we defend ourselves? The card doesn’t tell you how to defend yourself when shit hits the fan. That’s where experience and knowing I can throw this pitch and back him off a little bit, this is not an out pitch; it’s a show-me pitch, a chess move pitch to kind of create some room for error for this next pitch. You’ve gone over this before the game, you’re not making it up on the fly. You’ve got a plan A, B, C, all these different things.

It’s worked for me and I love that part of the game. That’s what really brought me joy in baseball was playing that chess game with the pitcher and the hitter and watching these pitchers get out of jams, or watch these pitchers be able to get through a major league lineup, especially the younger ones. That was fun showing them that they can get outs many ways in this league if you use your brain, eyes and you let the game tell you what is next.

MMO: We’ve talked a lot about your defense, but you had one great stretch in your rookie season where you hit a home run in five straight games in August.

Joseph: I think the most amazing thing was it was five consecutive games played, yet it was over a course of four different series, I believe.

I hit one at home versus Seattle, and I wasn’t playing every day, so I was playing sporadically. It wasn’t like a Monday through Friday; this was spread out. This is probably the only thing I can brag on in my career. When people mention it, I always talk about how I did it in Baltimore one game; the next opportunity I had was in Toronto, where I played the first and third games and hit two there. Before that, we played a two-game series in Washington, and I hit one there. It was Baltimore, Washington, Toronto, and then back home against the Cardinals, I hit one off John Lackey.

It was four different series, and that’s what I remember about that. And being able to do that in three different cities was cool! I hit two off teammates that would be in James Paxton and Tanner Roark, so that was cool.

I think what I remember most is the last one. It was kind of a tight game, day game versus the Cardinals, and Lackey had been around for a long time. And I jumped ship; I rarely swung at the first pitch (four of Joseph’s 32 career homers came on the first pitch), and I hit it off the end of the bat just a little bit. And day game in the middle of summer in Baltimore, and it just barely got over right towards the bullpen in left-center field. It kind of swung the game, and we ended up winning, so I’m probably most proud about that one.

I rarely got fired up; I was always taught to act like I’ve been there before, but that one I kind of let some emotions out. I knew my value was on defense, but being able to do something and provide on offense made me feel complete, at least for five games. [Laughs.]

MMO: Another thing you should add to the list of things to brag about is your career 0.00 ERA in two appearances. What do you remember from those two appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2019?

Joseph: It was as scary as it was fun. The last time I had pitched I was 12-years-old. It was one of those games where I was the third catcher in Arizona at that point, and we were getting manhandled by the Cubs.

There weren’t many guys left on the bench; he (Torey Luvullo) subbed out some of the regulars to get them off their feet. I was kind of the last one. There wasn’t really anything said, when you’ve been around long enough, you kind of just know.

It was my first time in the National League, and I just kind of knew that there was no way we were going to keep running through this bullpen. I just looked at Lovullo and our eyes met, and I just walked over to him and said, ‘Look, I’ll do it, and I’ll throw strikes.’ He was like, “Okay, man. You got it.”

I just grabbed a glove and went to the bullpen and threw six or eight pitches, trying to dial it in. The only thing I knew was I didn’t want to try and be that guy that threw 85 mph right into the perfect hitting speed, so I tried to throw well below it. [Laughs.]

I had a range of like 53-79 mph, but it wasn’t all fun and games; again, I’m just trying to get off the field. Everyone’s been there for three hours, and we’re getting our butts handed to us. I take baseball real seriously, even when we’re getting manhandled. I respect the game way too much. And I get it, people have fun, and it was fun. But it was fun when the third out was made and we’ve gotten off the field. I didn’t want it to prolong any more than it had to be, so I was taking it seriously, but at the same time I got up on that mound and I was like, this is cool. Not many people can say they’ve pitched in a big-league game.

Then, stepping up to the plate was Javier Báez. Then I realized he was closer from this vantage point than it looks from my vantage point behind the plate. I knew right away that I had nothing to defend myself from this guy who can hit it about 200 miles an hour, and he could very well break my leg. It became serious. I just lobbed that first one there and braced for impact. He ended up popping it up first pitch. I ended up getting two more outs from Jason Heyward and David Bote.

Then it was probably five or six days later, and we were in the same situation in Washington, and same thing. I had to pitch against another catcher, and I hate getting other catchers out; it’s kind of like the code of conduct. It was Yan Gomes, and he’s a friend of mine; we’ve done a number of events together in Nashville. I lobbed it in there, and he ended up grounding out, and that was it. Four up, four down.

Any advice I give to pitchers is, ‘Look, you can do whatever you want, but just know this is coming from a guy that has zeroes across the board on the mound.’ [Laughs.]

MMO: Your time with the Mets was brief in 2021, but what were your takeaways on the organization?

Joseph: I had a great time. I really liked what was going on there. I was really, really hopeful that there was going to be an opportunity here or there if there was an injury or insurance policy if something happened in the big leagues. There were a couple of things that didn’t work out, so I moved on looking for a real playing opportunity. I just didn’t want to get stuck on a bench. And lo and behold, as soon as I left, both James McCann and Tomás Nido went down with injuries, and if I would’ve stayed, I might’ve had an opportunity. That’s about how it’s going for me right now, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I liked Luis Rojas, I thought he had a great heart. Dave Jauss was in spring training with the Orioles, I think in my first spring training in 2010, so that was a familiar face. He’s a great guy and threw amazing batting practice to Pete Alonso in the Home Run Derby. He’s amazing at batting practice!

Being able to watch a guy like Jacob deGrom come in and just do his work and be surrounded by a guy that’s one of the best in the business, if not the best and a generational talent, was a really cool moment I enjoyed.

It was a great clubhouse, and I really enjoyed it. I was really looking forward to big things from them last year and was really sad to see things go downhill towards the end. But I think they’re in really good hands with Buck, and I will be watching that team closely.

And you never know; you can never say never, right? I’d be really interested in helping the Mets out in some sort of capacity. I really enjoyed that crew over there. Taijuan Walker, we were teammates in Toronto. Awesome, awesome guy. I love Jeff McNeil. I was teammates with Miguel Castro in Baltimore, and he’s a great guy. Jeurys Familia is one of the nicest guys in baseball.

Just a great clubhouse, and I really enjoyed my time. I’m really looking for big things from the Mets this year.

MMO: You mentioned Showalter, who was your first big league manager and someone you spent quite a lot of time with him Baltimore. What should Mets fans expect from Buck at the helm?

Joseph: He is the captain of the ship, and he mans a great ship. He’s easy to trust. He knows what he’s talking about and is by far the smartest X’s and O’s baseball manager I’ve ever been around, and probably will ever be around.

He’s incredibly detail-oriented, you can’t get anything past him. If there is a play in left field and the right fielder trips and falls, he’ll catch it.

I’ve told this to a couple of people, but you get to a certain point in your career where you’ve played long enough and you feel like you’ve played baseball for 20 years, and there’s not much that surprises me or learn about the game. I understand the cutoff on relays, I understand the sequencing of hitters, I understand all this type of stuff. But then you get to be managed by Buck, and you start realizing that there’s so much more to the game and all the minute details that seem obsolete at the time yet add up to little inches. It’s like the line from Any Given Sunday; you start adding up all those inches, and it’s all those inches that can literally change a game.

When you’re talking about the major leagues, you’re looking at any sort of advantage to win a baseball game. Winning in the big leagues is really, really hard. And if you can find a way to execute a cutoff in a relay in the bottom of the ninth, and you can find a way to keep a guy from stealing a base, whether it’s a pitcher holding the runner with various looks and getting detail-oriented in these minute details, you find out that you don’t beat yourself. That’s so huge because the game is about 90-foot increments, and the turnover battles are unbelievable and unbelievably important in the game.

So many guys talk about the strikeouts and homers and all this other stuff, but when you’re in it and you’re under Buck Showalter, you start realizing how precious 90 feet is. Any sort of play and advancement of 90 feet freely given or taken can dramatically affect the game and start to create momentum, and create big innings, and create stress-filled pitches for pitchers.

You start seeing the game totally different, and what happens is you know where to be because you’ve been trained in the exact right spot. Not that other teams don’t do this, but to the detail where you realize when you go into battle that you’re totally prepared and there’s not a single thing that can throw you off, and you have 26 guys on the exact same page when it comes to the fundamentals of baseball.

It sounds so cliché; it’s just like catching the ball in the pocket, but there are so many teams that lose these inches. And they lose them and lose them and lose them, and they look up and they’ve had a three-run inning, and they find a way to crawl and scratch their way back, but they end up losing by one run. Well, if we would’ve just done this or this, maybe we didn’t beat ourselves.

He’s going to bring real solid fundamentals to that club, and they’re not going to beat themselves. If you look on paper, my goodness, they shouldn’t lose a single game. They’ve got a ton of talent, and I think from a manager’s perspective, I would think your only goal is to keep your players from beating themselves. If you believe in the talent that your GM has acquired and you can keep them from beating themselves, in terms of these little plays and things that are controllable, if you have a good, assembled team that can win games, then you should feel good about your chances.

He’s an amazing X’s and O’s guy; he’s probably the best bullpen manager I’ve seen. Those bullpen guys in New York are going to love Buck. He’ll never put them into a position where their health is at risk. They’ll be fresh, he knows how to manage a bullpen better than anybody I’ve ever seen. Managing a bullpen is also predicated on how well your starting pitchers are, and he’s got two of the best in the world on the same team now.

He’s a really funny guy; a lot of people talk about his attention to detail and the way he stewards a ship. But he’s a really funny guy and very motivational. It’s serious business when it’s going on, but he is funny, and he’s great to be around.

I’ve texted a number of former Mets teammates and have told them that I think they’re really going to love Buck. He’s a great manager to play for, and you’ll feel like you’re totally prepared, not only with all of the stuff in terms of data that’s going to be given but also just keeping the clubhouse light and being there before. He’s done it before in a number of major cities, and he’s done it in New York. It’s a different animal in New York, and he’s been there, done that. I’m excited to see how it turns out.

MMO: Would you agree that Showalter is a good blend of incorporating the analytics while also utilizing his instincts and experience in the game?

Joseph: I would, yeah. There was a little phase there where I think anybody that maybe has a little bit of gray hair may get boxed into a corner in that this guy is not going to use analytics. But Buck’s been using analytics before both of us were even born. It was old-school pen and paper drawing lines on paper when he was in the minor leagues managing.

Buck’s got an unbelievable memory, like I said, you can’t get anything past him. He knows the league, he’s been in it, and he knows certain players, but having the advanced metrics and data at his disposal versus him having to go do all the work is an incredible tool for him. I think he’s going to mix it perfectly.

Look at the Braves; they seemed to be mixing it well. Even in Houston with Dusty Baker, I didn’t see Martín Maldonado going to the wristband, he’s calling games from a number of different sources.

All that data is going to give Buck a nice gut feeling, and for a guy like Buck who has been around as long as he has, a lot of that data just solidifies what his eyes are telling him. He’s not against it at all, and he’ll use it, and he’ll be able to find that perfect blend that I think everyone is looking for.

MMO: The one complaint that I thought was overblown was that Showalter had been out of the game too long. I mean, he last managed in 2018, and then did studio analyst work at MLB Network, where he kept up with the game and all thirty clubs.

Joseph: He’s as sharp as a tack, and I know he has a nice golf game, so I’m sure he’s had some time on the fairways and greens. But outside of that, you’re exactly right: he eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. There won’t be anybody that is more prepared than Buck. I’d give him ten years off and I think he’d step right into a situation where he knew what was going on. He keeps up with it, and we’ve had numerous conversations on the phone over the last couple of years, and he’s dead on with what’s going on.

This isn’t some guy that’s being pulled out of some vacation rental who hasn’t been paying attention. It’s the opposite. If anything, he’s paid more attention to not only baseball but just the league in general because he wasn’t solely responsible for one team. He was using all that energy and focusing it on thirty teams versus one. It’s actually scary; he might be even more poised than ever because he’s been paying attention to the entire league! That’s how I think about it.

If you don’t know Buck, it’s easy to see where it could be a roadblock, but I honestly think it totally works to his advantage because there’s nothing that gets past him. I can’t stress that enough.

MMO: You talked before about wanting to keep playing. If that doesn’t pan out, would you still want to remain in baseball in some capacity? Perhaps as a coach, instructor, or broadcaster?

Joseph: I’ve had a couple of opportunities that have presented themselves. I have a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old little girl, so life is presenting some challenges. I’m trying to figure out if coaching is something that life-wise would be good for our family.

I love the game, love talking about it, love doing it, and love being a part of it. I’ve always seen myself as a lifer, sort of similar to Buck. I’d love to stay in the game, and hopefully there are opportunities where organizations see the value and they want to add to that.

I understand that I’m working under a bit of a caveat in that I’m not necessarily interested in going to manage an A-ball team with two young kids at this moment. But I’d love to stay in it; I really enjoy it, and for most of us, it’s what we’ve done since we were three or four years old. It becomes a huge part of your life and to think about not being involved with some organization is a bit odd.

I do love the game more than ever and feel like there’s a really good opportunity for people like me who have experience with the old-school way and with this boom of analytics and being able to decipher both and not be heavy leaning to one side. I feel there’s immense value in bringing some of that experience with the knowledge of how the game has trended in terms of the metrics and being able to communicate effectively in how well those things work and don’t work.

MMO: Thanks so much for speaking with me today, Caleb. I really appreciate all the terrific insight you shared.

Joseph: You got it!

Follow Caleb Joseph on Twitter, @YYZBackstop

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