In his first offseason as General Manager, Brodie Van Wagenen revamped the Mets’ bullpen that finished with the third worst ERA in the major leagues last season. Van Wagenen first surprised the league by acquiring All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, and then he further bolstered the bullpen by signing Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson and Luis Avilan.
The impact of getting an elite closer like Diaz is massive. Diaz’s 2018 season was so dominant that he emerged as one of the game’s most dominating and electrifying relievers. Diaz posted an outstanding 1.96 ERA and incredible 15.2 K/9 last season, while securing a league leading total of 57 saves for the Mariners.
At 25 years old, Diaz has yet to establish a lengthy track record, but he is just entering his prime. There’s also there’s nothing to suggest that last year’s performance was a fluke.
Diaz led the majors in many advanced metrics. Diaz’s 1.61 FIP, 1.78 xFIP, and 1.49 SIERA all ranked first in the MLB. He also struck out 44.3% of the batters he faced, which ranked second behind only Josh Hader.
A few poor outings from Diaz in spring training doesn’t change anything. Even though Diaz has a Grapefruit League ERA of 8.53 in 6.1 innings this spring, nobody should worry. An elite pitcher like Diaz will refine his mechanics by the time the regular season starts.
What made Van Wagenen’s overhaul of the bullpen successful is that he didn’t stop improving it after getting Diaz. The first-year GM realized the team needed another shutdown reliever, and he signed former Mets’ closer Familia to a 3-year $30M deal.
Splitting time with the Mets and A’s last season, Familia posted a 3.18 ERA, 2.78 FIP and 10.4 K/9 in 72 innings. These solid numbers show that he hasn’t lost the ability that made him such a standout pitcher in his first stint in Queens.
In 2015 and 2016, Familia averaged 47 saves a season with an excellent 2.20 ERA and 2.55 FIP. Many forgotten just how good Familia was for the Mets, but after he was traded, it became clear how much the team missed his presence.
Without Familia for most of the second half, the Mets bullpen sunk to even lower depths with a 5.33 ERA. While Familia’s absence wasn’t the only factor in these struggles, the bullpen was undoubtedly weakened. The Mets did not have the depth to overcome his departure.
Meanwhile in Oakland, Familia thrived in the setup role for the Oakland A’s. He formed an excellent one-two punch with their dominant closer Blake Treinen, and he became a key piece in their surprise playoff run.
A similarly superb tandem can be formed this year between Familia and Diaz. Familia’s experience of closing in New York makes him a perfect mentor to Diaz, who will face an adjustment pitching in the spotlight of the Big Apple. Given the combination of their talent and experience, the two can be absolutely dominant together.
Not only did Van Wagenen acquire a pair of shutdown relievers, but he continued to add depth by snagging Justin Wilson to a 2 year $10M deal. While Wilson wasn’t the biggest name available, he is solid and dependable. During his seven-year career, Wilson owns a 3.33 ERA and 3.30 FIP.
In another underrated move, Van Wagenen signed Luis Avilan on a minor league deal. Avilan registered a 3.77 ERA, 3.09 FIP, and 10.1 K/9 across 45.1 innings last season. The southpaw provides Manager Mickey Callaway an effective weapon out of the pen, as he’s held lefties to a .213 batting average and .581 OPS during his career.
While parting with Jarred Kelenic, the team’s 2018 first round pick, to get Diaz disappointed many, it was still refreshing to see Van Wagenen address the bullpen in such a bold way. Under former General Manager Sandy Alderson, the Mets avoided the big-name closers and often tried to find relievers at bargain prices.
Alderson’s strategy especially cost the Mets the last two years when the bullpen finished among the league’s worst in many categories. While it’s possible that Van Wagenen’s aggressiveness can backfire, much like it did for Omar Minaya in 2009 with Francisco Rodriguez and J.J.Putz, he couldn’t play it cautiously and do nothing.
The bullpen was in major need of an overhaul, so he got arguably the best closer available, an excellent setup man, and quality depth. He also retained the few bright spots from last year, such as Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, while letting go of underperformers like Anthony Swarzak, AJ Ramos, and Jerry Blevins.
While there any never any guarantees in baseball, this bullpen looks like the best the Mets have had in quite some time.
