A successful August NY Mets free agent signing for a bullpen that badly needed help

The 2019 New York Mets trade deadline was light. They bought Marcus Stroman, sold Jason Vargas, and hoped for the best with the players they already had. The team made a valiant attempt to climb back into the postseason race. If the MLB playoffs were designed the way they are today, they would’ve made it.

In August, the Mets got busy with several free agent additions. Generally after the trade deadline, the scrap heap rises. Teams are more willing to DFA and release players making real baseball money. Cut by the Chicago Cubs on August 5, the Mets agreed to terms with Brad Brach on August 8.

Brach grew up a Mets fan and that was a part of the story when he joined them. A native of Freehold, NJ, the Mets were adding a guy who had a 6.13 ERA in the majors that season. Over 16 appearances, the Mets were rewarded with something much closer to what Brach generally did.

Brad Brach was a successful August free agent addition for the Mets in a year where they needed the bullpen help

The 2019 Mets bullpen is largely to blame for missing the playoffs. Edwin Diaz wasn’t the Edwin Diaz we came to know him to be. Jeurys Familia was even worse. The team was relying on the magic of Seth Lugo and the brilliant yet sometimes forgotten year Justin Wilson gave them.

Brach would go on to pitch to a 3.68 ERA. A 2.67 FIP tells us he could’ve been even better if not for bad luck. He walked fewer than 2 per 9 and had 15 Ks in 14.2 innings. It was short, effective, and went a long way toward stabilizing the pitching staff.

In fact, even with so few innings, Brach had the 9th best bWAR of any Mets pitcher. At 0.3 bWAR in limited action, he was only outdone by the regular Mets starters plus Lugo and Wilson.

Brach would end up re-signing with the Mets and hang around through the 2020 season before getting released the following February. The 5.84 ERA in 2020 wasn’t good enough for the bullpen the new front office was looking to build. His 14 walks and 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings was far too frightening.

Things could’ve gone much differently for Brach in New York. A lifetime 1.80 ERA in the playoffs, he could’ve been a big stopper in the bullpen in a special run to the playoffs. It just wasn’t the Mets’ year.

Brach would toss 30 more innings with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021 and finish with a 6.30 ERA.

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