Mets five best free agent starting pitcher signings of all-time

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13 Jun 1997: Pitcher Rick Reed of the New York Mets throws a pitch during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Red Sox won the game 8-4. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport /

2) Rick Reed

Rick Reed’s MLB career doesn’t compare to what Colon, Martinez, or Glavine did. All three of them won a Cy Young. Two are in the Hall of Fame and there’s a chance we see Colon get at least a few votes.

What makes Reed the second best free agent signing in Mets history is what he did with the team. His numbers trump what those three 200+ game-winners did.

Before the 1997 season, Reed was a journeyman pitcher whose career looked like it was coming to an end. He didn’t pitch in the big leagues at all in 1996. He managed to make the Mets roster in 1997 and impress everyone with a career-year in New York.

Reed finished his first year with the Mets with a 13-9 record and 2.89 ERA. For an encore, Reed went 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 1998. His performance even earned him an All-Star selection.

Not always perfect, Reed’s overall Mets numbers are still quite awesome. He has a record of 59-36. This gives him a .621 winning percentage—the second-highest in team history.

In addition to the winning, Reed managed to keep runs off the scoreboard. His 3.66 ERA in 888.2 innings is unexpectedly great to see from a guy that joined the organization as a minor league free agent.

Even when not considering the fact that he came to the orange and blue as a minor league free agent, I think Reed’s number two spot on this list is well-deserved. He is one of the best pitchers the team had in the 1990s.

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