NY Mets Roster: 3 depth piece additions that backfired in 2021

3 of 3

May 3, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Joey Lucchesi (47) pitches during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Depth. Depth. Depth. We say it every offseason. Every preseason. Every day in the middle of the season. Depth is an important part of any organization’s success. The New York Mets just didn’t have enough of it in 2021.

It’s not completely their fault. They did try to build upon what they already had in-house. The team went out last offseason and made numerous additions to survive injury.

Unfortunately, many of those guys they brought in got hurt or simply underperformed. These three additions from last winter were supposed to help the team survive catastrophe. Instead, their season became quite forgettable.

Mets pitcher Joey Lucchesi went down with an injury right as he was heating up

Remember when Joey Lucchesi was the depth addition everyone was raving about? Well, not everyone. But his youth mixed with some nice upside made him a piece many Mets fans were eager to see take the mound in 2021 in some capacity.

Lucchesi ended up making the Opening Day roster in part because of an injury to Carlos Carrasco. Used in an unusual way, Lucchesi never went beyond 4 innings until June when things started to pick up for him. Lucchesi made three starts that month in three losing efforts for his club yet there was plenty of promise.

Sadly, his June 18 start versus the Washington Nationals was the last time he would take the hill. After several promising yet short outings as a starter, Lucchesi’s 2021 came to an end with Tommy John Surgery.

We won’t see him back on the mound for the Mets again until at least 2023. His role with the team, by then, is impossible to know. First is a safe and healthy recovery. Second is finding his way back into prominence.

Apr 17, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets center fielder Albert Almora Jr. (4) celebrates scoring the game tying run in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Albert Almora brought nothing to the Mets

The Albert Almora signing was viewed by some as a nice pickup for the Mets. Coming off a bad year with the Chicago Cubs in 2020 which ended with him being non-tendered, the Mets swooped in and added the slick-fielding center fielder for the purpose of some nice depth beyond the infield dirt.

Almora’s career with the Cubs started off promising. With some shades of early Juan Lagares, it looked like he had the potential to be a quality center fielder for many more years.

The Mets, hopeful his downfall was untrue, took a chance. The result was a .115/.148/.173 slash line in 54 trips to the plate. The poor performance at the plate wasn’t nearly enough to keep his glove on the major league roster for too long. Almora would see much more action in Triple-A where he did hit well before getting designated for assignment in late September.

It’s tough to call Almora a bust or a disappointment. Expectations were never too high for him. He was a low-risk, high-reward type of signing. We can’t really blame the Mets for looking at him as a suitable defensive replacement late in games.

That’s about all Almora could have possibly given the team. However, with the poor offense, the team needed much more from even their bench players.

Mar 3, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets first baseman Jose Martinez (16) throws to first base against the New York Mets in the fourth inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /

Jose Martinez is this year’s Jed Lowrie Award winner

I feel bad for Jose Martinez. Not just because I thought he could be a nice bat off the bench for the Mets. The guy’s career now has a big empty space on it for the 2021 season.

Signed in the offseason to a minor league deal, Martinez looked like a strong bat to compete against Almora for a final roster spot on Opening Day. Knee surgery landed him on the IL and Martinez was never able to fully recover and get back on the field.

There was some limited hope during his rehab assignments that Martinez could get a couple of at-bats for the Mets. Instead, he put up a goose egg and has become this year’s Jed Lowrie Award winner.

Lowrie, as the legend goes, spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Mets. He only ever made 8 plate appearances in 9 games without ever playing the field. He was the punchline of those two seasons even if it was an injury that apparently held him back.

Amazingly enough, Lowrie had a productive year for the Oakland Athletics in 2021 as their starting second baseman. Martinez can only hope to do the same somewhere next year. And when it does happen, expect to hear the hearts of Mets fans breaking.

Next. 3 ways the Mets failed, 3 ways they succeeded

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

Which depth addition were you most disappointed to see disappear in 2021?

Home / New York Mets News