Mets: Addison Reed trade in 2015 is an essential move to remember

During his time with the New York Mets, Addison Reed was a reliable reliever in the bullpen. The trade that brought him to New York was one of the key moves in the summer of 2015.

The acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes in 2015 launched the New York Mets into the postseason where they would eventually land in the World Series. As great of a trade as that was, another deal made around the same time also played a pivotal role in the trip to the championship game.

On August 30, 2015, the Mets pulled off a sensational trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Addison Reed. In exchange for Miller Diaz and Matt Koch, the Mets received a reliever who became essential in their division title.

Reed pitched in 17 games for the 2015 team. He came away from it with a 1.17 ERA and a chance to pitch in the postseason for the first time in his career. Though Reed didn’t perform well when he did take the mound in October, he was a needed piece during the regular season.

Prior to the trade, Reed owned a 4.20 ERA in 38 outings with the Diamondbacks. It was clear why Arizona would move on from him. He was nothing special. This changed during his time in New York. From 2015 until he was traded away in 2017, Reed was one of the most important parts of the bullpen.

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As if the performance in 2015 wasn’t good enough, Reed delivered again in 2016. Over the course of 80 games, he went 4-2 with a 1.97 ERA. Manager Terry Collins never shied away from using the talented righty who would finish the season with a career-high 91 strikeouts over 77.2 innings of work.

Reed wrapped up his Mets tenure in 2017 with 48 more games pitched and a 2.57 ERA. Due to Jeurys Familia‘s ongoing health issues, Reed also had the opportunity to save 19 games. In the midst of a sell-off, the Mets traded him on July 31, 2017, to the Boston Red Sox thus ending a brief albeit productive stint in Queens.

Seeing how poorly the 2018 bullpen has performed, it should make us appreciate men like Reed a little more. He was reliable and available regularly for the Mets.

Although a lot of credit for the playoff runs in 2015 and 2016 can fall in the laps of others, a lockdown reliever like Reed saved us from plenty of aggravation.

Reed wasn’t perfect. He lost game five in the 2015 World Series and struggled in the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This bad month aside, the man was as sure as can be. It’s just a shame he came up small in the big situation.

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Let’s hope that somewhere out there the Mets can find the next version of Reed to secure those late innings. Maybe this time, if he does get a shot in the postseason, the results are better.

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