Lackluster NY Mets trade deadline leftovers look like they’ve figured some things out

The New York Mets brought back a couple of their trade deadline additions from last summer as free agents. Jesse Winker has a new one-year deal. So does Ryne Stanek. Not everyone was up for free agency. A pair of pitchers were under team control beyond 2024 and this spring have shown why they were coveted in the first place.

First, there’s Huascar Brazoban. His strong performance with the Miami Marlins and years of team control remaining made him a smart addition. The fact that the Mets could option him to the minors as well, only added to the praise for the deal. Unfortunately, his 2.93 ERA in Miami morphed into a 5.14 ERA performance with the Mets. He walked almost as many batters as he struck out. It was not a good showing.

Much more under the radar was the addition of Tyler Zuber. A pickup from the Tampa Bay Rays, he never made it out of the minor leagues. His 12.38 ERA for Syracuse had him in the doghouse, but the Mets have stuck with him and it’s looking like he, along with Brazoban, have figured some things out this spring.

Underwhelming immediately after, the pair of Mets trade deadline leftovers have been impressive this spring

Brazoban remains a consideration for the Opening Day roster although holding him back in case of injury, underperformance from another, or need for a fresh arm could have him revisiting Syracuse once more. Zuber was never a realistic candidate to crack the roster from day one. However, a strong spring has at least chased some of the bitterness from his Triple-A performance following the trade deadline move.

This spring has featured a lot of Brazoban, the team’s current leader in games pitched with 8. He is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. Control has remained a part of his problem. His 6 walks and a hit by pitch remind us there are things for him to work on. Nevertheless, the ability to prevent runs this spring is huge on his way toward becoming a relevant part of the team’s bullpen.

Zuber hasn’t pitched quite as much, logging 6 games and 7.2 innings. The strikeout numbers haven’t dazzled with just 6 of them compared to 4 walks. However, a 1.17 WHIP and .192 batting average against tells a tale of Zuber’s ability to limit damage. On the backburner for now with him being officially reassigned to minor league camp on Friday, he’s in a similar boat as Reed Garrett was heading into 2024. 

There is some added pressure for these two to perform. They weren’t simply waiver claims or free agents. The Mets gave up some promising young talent for each, Wilfredo Lara for Brazoban and Paul Gervase for Zuber. A final grade on either trade is unfair at this point. Trending in the right direction, we can only hope the spring performance is a preview of these two truly having a handle on things like they’ve shown in exhibition action way more often than not.