It only took one weekend for this Mets free agent choice to be proven right

The New York Mets were faced with a few tough decisions this past offseason in regards to the re-construction of their bullpen after many of the members of the 2024 team were entering free agency. One former member of last year's bullpen recently made his return to Citi Field as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals in Phil Maton and he had plenty to say prior to the 4-game series against the Mets.

The former Mets reliever made it widely known that this past weekend was going to be personal for him after the Mets front office elected to move in a different direction this past winter. That direction being General Manager David Stearns re-signing Ryne Stanek who pitched admirably for the Mets last season after being acquired prior to the trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners.

Ryne Stanek has made the Mets front office look like geniuses after electing to bring him back this past offseason.

With all of that being said, the results spoke for themselves this weekend, as Maton was on the receiving end of eating his words after falling short in two critical situations both on Friday night and Sunday afternoon to propel the Mets to victory. On the other side of the coin Stanek was able to close the game out for the Mets on Sunday as well as pitching a critical clean inning on Friday night's back and forth affair.

While Maton was a great pickup for the Mets as well last July, when he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, he faded over the last week of the season as well as the playoffs, and I believe that was a big reason why the front office had moved in another direction this past winter. Stanek was the complete opposite as his results were much more of higher quality as the season went on.

While the Mets pitching as a whole has been lights out over the first month of the regular season, a big reason for that success has been in part to bringing Stanek back as a key member of this bullpen. I believe the roller coaster ride that we saw from Maton over his two appearances at Citi Field this past weekend in a different uniform, was fitting in terms of the Mets front office making the correct choice in who to bring back and who to let go.