NY Mets could use these four under the radar relief pitchers

Thus far through the 2020-2021 offseason, the New York Mets have been one of the most active teams, making several big moves to try and bolster the roster, as a part of the new owner Steve Cohen’s efforts to revamp the team.

A few of the Mets highlights to start the offseason were re-signing starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to a one-year qualifying offer and signing one of the top relief pitchers Trevor May to a multiyear deal.

Beyond that, the Mets also shocked the baseball world with a blockbuster trade with the Indians, acquiring the services of All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco.

Despite all these big moves, the team still has a few holes left to fill, particularly regarding depth in the team’s bullpen.

Mets still need some help in the bullpen

As any team with postseason aspirations surely knows, a good bullpen is a must-have, and this is an area the Mets have struggled with in recent years, particularly when it comes to solid outings from left-handed pitchers.

While they may be better served reserving the big money at other positions, there are many quality free agent relievers on the market who are currently floating under the radar as the league waits for the higher caliber players to sign elsewhere.

As the market continues to drag out, the Mets could take advantage of the wealth of quality relievers currently unsigned in bring them in on short term deals to help provide consistent depth to what at times has been a very inconsistent bullpen.

Mets Reliever Target: Shane Greene

While Doolittle is coming off of a bad year, one reliever on the market who thrived in 2020 was right-handed reliever Shane Greene, and he is someone the Mets should definitely have their eye on.

A former All-Star reliever, Greene began his career with the Detroit Tigers before being dealt to the Atlanta Braves at the 2019 trade deadline in order to bolster their bullpen for their playoff bid that season.

Returning to Atlanta in 2020, Greene was the workhorse for the Braves last year, appearing in 28 of their 60 games while recording a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 innings. He also continued to help carry the load for them in the postseason, appearing in 6 games during their playoff berth.

While he was quietly one of the top relievers in baseball last year, Greene is on the free agent market for the first time in his career, and at 31 years old, is likely looking for a healthy raise.

While he is unlikely to receive a lucrative offer, the Mets certainly could look to acquire his services for a reasonable cost on a multiyear deal, similar to their signing of Trevor May, and based off his past performances out of the bullpen, the investment could be well worth it.

As a reliever, Greene has appeared in 280 games out of the pen over his 7 year career, and over that span, he has logged a 3.72 ERA. He has really hit his stride over the past 2 seasons, and with an opening in the pen, the Mets would be foolish not to consider him.

Mets Reliever Target: Jeremy Jeffress

Similar to Greene, right-hander Jeremy Jeffress is hitting the free agent market after having a stellar season with the Chicago Cubs in 2020.

Jeffress has amassed quite a reputation for himself over an 11 year career and has been one of the top relievers in recent years. Over his time in the big leagues, Jeffress has 3.08 ERA over 414 appearances.

A key part of Jeffress’ game is his high 90’s fastball, his helped him to a very productive 2020 season as a member of the Cubs. After having an off-year in 2019, Jeffress signed a 1 year deal with Chicago and rebounded to his previous form.

During his one season with the Cubs, Jeffress made 22 appearances, thru which he recorded a 1.54 ERA over 23.1 innings, helping guide the club to a post-season berth.

At 32 years old, Jeffress is also unlikely to get offered a long term deal. However, with stuff like his consistency out of the pen, he would be a welcome addition to the Mets’ bullpen if they chose to pull the trigger on him.

Jeffress could be the missing piece to help alleviate the Mets’ bullpen woes and prevent them from overworking their top relievers, and for him, it could be a good landing spot and one more shot at a championship.

Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Mets Reliever Target: David Robertson

This one may be the biggest wildcard of all, but it may be a gamble the Mets should seriously consider pursuing.

Once upon a time, David Robertson was one of the top relief pitchers in the MLB, and while some time has passed since then, there is still a chance Robertson still has something left in the tank, and it may behoove the Mets to give him a shot.

Since debuting in 2008, Robertson was one of the most consistent relief pitchers in the league, primarily as a member of the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. Over 12 years in the MLB, Robertson has pitched in 661 games to the tune of a 2.90 ERA. Not too shabby.

He signed a 2 year deal with an option with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2019 season, however, shortly after that is when things went off the rails for the former All-Star.

Robertson sustained an elbow injury in mid-April of that year, which required Tommy John Surgery, ending his season after pitching in only 7 games. The following year in 2020, Robertson sustained a setback during his rehab in August, forcing him to miss the rest of that season as well.

The Phillies bought out his option following the 2020 season, making Robertson a free agent once again. While he has missed close to two seasons recovering from Tommy John Surgery, if Robertson is looking to make a comeback, I think the Mets should give him the chance.

After missing all this time and coming off an injury, Robertson would likely be signed for relatively cheap, and when he was healthy, he was one of the most productive relievers in the game.

If he is half the pitcher he was prior to his injury, signing him would be a steal for the Mets, and just like signing any of the other mentioned free agents, would certainly help to rectify their bullpen, which has the team’s biggest issue the past few years.

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