New York Mets most underrated transactions of the winter

The New York Mets made some less notable moves this winter which could have resounding positive effects on the future.

The biggest splash the New York Mets made this winter was the one that brought in a relief pitcher who missed almost all of last season. The one-year deal Brodie Van Wagenen signed Dellin Betances to is by far the most hyped addition. I can understand why.

The Mets needed some obvious bullpen upgrades. Betances not only does this, but he also gives the Mets a clear route to go in the ninth inning if Edwin Diaz has a repeat season.

In addition to adding Betances, the Mets made a few quieter transactions that I think are a little underrated. Let’s explore them and why they will benefit the team in 2020 and possibly beyond.

Re-signing Brad Brach

Brad Brach’s arrival to Flushing last year had fans excited. Not long ago, he was one of the best relievers in the American League. While nobody expected him to put up the numbers he did with the Baltimore Orioles during their winning days in the earlier part of the decade, there was some belief he’d at least perform better than he did with the Chicago Cubs.

Fortunately, Brach did improve the bullpen. In a limited sample, he managed to pitch to a 3.68 ERA. He became a guy Mickey Callaway could turn to late in games to at least keep the team in the game.

Because of the way the rest of the bullpen lines up for 2020, there’s a chance we see Brach fill a role where he starts the year as more of an innings eater than anything else. If everyone plays to the back of their baseball card, he’ll have a tough time elevating his status.

Injuries and slumps are inevitable, though. Eventually, we could see Brach pitching far more important innings and setting things up for what we believe is this team’s back-end relievers for the year.

Brach won’t be an All-Star in 2020, but he may give this team a more trustworthy bullpen. In short, he’ll save us from months of watching guys who belong in Triple-A step on the mound and get blasted.

A minor league deal with Rene Rivera

One of multiple minor league signings the Mets made this offseason included the reunion with Rene Rivera. Bringing him back for 2020 seemed even more important than ever. Unlike last year when the Mets were able to begin the year with two veterans behind the plate—Wilson Ramos and Travis d’Arnaud—this year’s depth chart included only The Buffalo and Tomas Nido.

Nido’s big league performance thus far has left a lot to be desired. His catching game is okay, but his bat doesn’t seem major league level just yet.

Rivera, on the other hand, has proven that he can hit at the big league level. Although he’ll turn 37 in late July, I think he’s a solid backup option for at least a part of the season. At the very least, he gives the Mets an insurance policy in case Nido struggles.

The catching situation for this club is quite interesting heading into 2020. Ramos has an option for 2021 so there’s a good chance we see him stick around for another year after this coming campaign.

Beyond 2021, there are multiple minor leagues who could be vying for regular playing time. I don’t see Nido as a realistic option for anything more than a backup role. This year, however, we could see one of the possible catchers of the future take over.

Ali Sanchez is nearing his MLB debut and coming off a productive year on the farm in 2019. While he’s not the top catching prospect for the organization—a title belonging to Francisco Alvarez—I think he could at least get regular playing time in the interim.

Rivera’s familiarity with Noah Syndergaard and even Jacob deGrom makes him a valuable piece to the Mets. We already know the pair prefer not to pitch to Ramos. If they haven’t gotten on the same page and Nido doesn’t look like the best choice, Rivera is a good option to have. The fact that he’s on a minor league deal makes it even more important because there’s no rush for a change.