3 NY Mets players added to the 40-man roster this offseason we're ready to box up

2) Richard Lovelady

It’s not personal with Richard Lovelady. In fact, Mets fans would love it if he was really good. His name and chosen nickname of “Dickie” makes him the kind of folkhero fans crave. Unfortunately, the performance last year didn’t meet the anticipation Dickie Lovelady presented us by name.

His 6.30 ERA was even worse than the 5.35 ERA it sits at for his career. Lovelady wasn’t a complete disaster, more so a mistake or two in multiple outings had him on the outs with fans quickly. Literally the only Mets free agent the team has re-signed this offseason, he’s back on a split contract which should have the team preparing to DFA him at some point and crossing the fingers he passes through waivers and can get stashed in Triple-A.

Lovelady had an amazingly effective sweeper, holding batters to a .200 average against it. Its 40.5% whiff rate is actually remarkable. Tied as his most utilized pitch, the Mets need to figure out a way for his sinker to actually work. Batters hit .385 against that.

Nothing from Lovelady’s past suggests he’s going to become the next Mets fan favorite. We’ll gladly take just being a tiny bit better.