2 relief pitchers the Mets should sign, 1 they should avoid

The New York Mets have a roster practically ready on the offensive side and in their starting pitching rotation. However, the team's bullpen lacks reliable figures, especially in high-leverage situations, which implies a risk in the team's desire to be competitive in 2024.

Beyond Edwin Diaz, the rest of the bullpen arms are Brooks Raley, Drew Smith, and Jorge Lopez as the options that would serve as a bridge for Diaz, complemented by Michael Tonkin, Phil Bickford, and Yohan Ramirez. Given that the team's options as of today do not seem to be the most reliable, the team must look for at least two experienced relievers who can be used late in games.

Phil Maton is the perfect fit for the Mets among the available options

When looking at the Mets bullpen, we can see that beyond Edwin Diaz and Brooks Raley there is no reliable option to serve as a right-arm setup man on the team. In this sense, among the options that are available on the free agency market is Phil Maton.

Maton is a 30-year-old pitcher with seven seasons in the majors playing for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros. It was in this last organization where Maton rediscovered himself as a pitcher, posting his best numbers of his career.

In 2023, Maton had one of his best years on the mound, posting an ERA of 3.00, striking out 74 batters in 66 innings pitched with a WHIP of 1.12. The right-handed pitcher has obtained better results thanks to his ability to reduce the damage with a hard hit contact below 24%, placing him in the top 1% of the league.

Maton has achieved this result through the continued use of his curveball, which has managed to keep his rivals to a batting average of just .169 and the spin rate of his fastball. Maton generate a swing and miss of around 70%, between both pitches.

The Mets would get a setup man capable of combining with Brooks Raley in high leverage situations to offload the responsibility and workload of Edwin Diaz. Maton would be an ideal piece for the team as it seeks to remain competitive in 2024.