Second NY Mets free agent signing from Korea is much more satisfying and useful

There won’t be too many days where the New York Mets sign more than one player from the Doosan Bears in one day. Yesterday might be it. After adding Jared Young to a split contract, the team snagged Brandon Waddell on a minor league deal.

Waddell joins the Mets with only 11 games of MLB experience. An unattractive 5.68 ERA had him leaving to pitch in Korea beginning in 2022. He was actually very good in parts of three seasons. Converted into a starting pitcher after spending most of his time above Double-A as a reliever, Waddell leaves the KBO back for America with a 23-10 record and 2.98 ERA in 43 starts.

Brandon Waddell is a solid flier for the Mets to take on a player who reinvented himself overseas

The next Erick Fedde? We can only hope so. This comes with much less risk on a minor league deal. Waddell can give the Mets the ever-so-desirable starting pitching depth every front office executive craves.

The 30-year-old lefty was exceptionally good in 2023 when, as a member of two teams, he combined to go 16-8 with a 2.82 ERA. His strikeout rate increased drastically from 5.5 per 9 up to 8.2 per 9 after one year in the KBO. This past year, he struck out exactly one per while bettering his control. He’s coming off of a year with a walk rate of 1.3 per 9.

Waddell still falls off the list of players Mets fans should want to see simply. When he’s starting for the ball club, it means someone else is unavailable. A remaining minor league option left on his coattails, he’ll be someone the Mets could weave in and out from the major league roster for the full season.

Where the Young signing had most of us shrugging, we should have the understanding by now just how important every addition to the pitching staff is. One start? Two? However many games might come with Waddell on the mound, we’ll take it even if all he does is start game 162 to help set the team up for the postseason.