The biggest NY Mets Rule 5 Draft mistake they ever made

At the 2008 Rule 5 Draft, the New York Mets grabbed a 26-year-old away from the Los Angeles Angels. If the name doesn’t immediately jump out, you’ll remember him from his 15-year MLB career. Darren O’Day was an amateur free agent signed by the Angels and for 4 games in 2009, a member of the Mets.

In need of a spot start from Nelson Figueroa, the Mets put O’Day on waivers only to see him leave for the Texas Rangers. And just like that, their Rule 5 Draft risk was over. Adios. Good luck wherever you end up.

Immediately, O’Day showed the Mets why they should have hung onto him.

Rule 5 pick Darren O’Day immediately made the Mets pay for cutting him loose

O’Day stuck with the Rangers and pitched to a 1.94 ERA in 55.2 innings in 2009. The outrageous results had the Mets and Angels eating their hearts out. He followed it up in 2010 with a 2.03 ERA performance. It was no fluke. O’Day was a good reliever after all.

In his 15 seasons, O’Day had an ERA below 2.00 five times, twice in limited action but that’s not what’s important. A lifetime 2.59 ERA with any number of big league seasons is impressive. He rarely saw his ERA go into the 4.00s, doing so only once in what could be classified in a full season. That came in 2008 before he even joined the Mets. 

Doubling down on the madness, Figueroa’s spot start on April 19, 2009, was a 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Figueroa wouldn’t even pitch in the majors again until August, making this an even more wasteful decision to part with O’Day.

This was an era of major Mets mistakes. The signing of Jason Bay leading the way, the inaugural dimensions at Citi Field that held David Wright to only 10 home runs in 2009 was another. The O’Day mistake wasn’t what tormented the Mets most. In terms of Home Alone boobytraps, it was probably on the level of slipping on Hot Wheels, an experience way too many Americans suffer through every holiday season despite not actually being a burglar.