NY Mets: Dellin Betances is a new contender for the worst Brodie Van Wagenen signing

Season-ending surgery has cut Dellin Betances’ chance at a 2021 comeback with the New York Mets short. After appearing in a single game for them earlier this year—the same case he had with the 2019 New York Yankees—Betances is done.

I remember back when Betances first signed with the Mets. It wasn’t so long ago that it could be easily forgotten. The deal became official on December 24, 2019, and was viewed by some as an early Christmas present.

Others were already preparing for Boxing Day. Somewhere in their gut, they knew Betances wouldn’t work out for the Mets.

Those who never wanted Dellin Betances on the Mets were apparently right

Amazingly, Betances isn’t the only player over the last few years to completely disappear. Former General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen had a knack for signing free agents who would make fewer appearances than a legendary monster. Jed Lowrie has long been the reference point for many fans. Betances isn’t far behind.

From big signings to smaller ones, it’s astonishing how many guys BVW brought in went on to miss significant time. I know 2020 was whacky, but two bench pieces practically disappeared as well. Eduardo Nunez had a chance to play a significant role on the Mets. An early injury limited his playing time to two games.

Expected to play much more than Nunez, outfielder Jake Marisnick missed significant time in 2020. He finished the season with 16 games played—one less than Billy Hamilton who appeared in 17.

For non-injury-related reasons, determining the worst free agent signing by Van Wagenen simply takes a flip of a baseball card. Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha are two more from last season that didn’t go as planned.

Out of everyone brought in during that stretch of Mets history, I’m not sure anyone disappointed as much as Betances. Even while healthy, he was unproductive. The front office went “star chasing” with him rather than pulling in a guy the nerds in the analytical department would prefer—something I believe the current regime took into far more consideration with additions like Aaron Loup and Trevor May.

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Betances does have one more year on his deal with the team but it includes a $500K buyout which they’ll surely use. To open up a roster spot alone, it’s the next step to take.