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3 former Mets players who failed miserably in 2022
With the bitterness of how 2022 finished for the New York Mets still fresh, it’s important to step back and realize how much progress the organization has made – not just in what they did, but equally in what they didn’t do.
A busy offseason last year brought many big names and key contributors to Queens, while a few the Mets passed (or lost out) on chose opportunities elsewhere. And in many cases, those other opportunities proved fruitless.
There were a few notable former Mets – players who had a realistic chance to return to the team in 2022 – that greatly underperformed expectations in their new homes.
1) Former NY Met who failed in 2022: Javier Baez
One of the key questions surrounding the Mets prior to 2022 was whether they would (and should) bring back Javier Baez. Acquired in a deadline deal in 2021, the middle infielder had a productive two-month stint with the team, with an .886 OPS in 47 games despite causing some drama along the way and being part of the Mets’ late season swoon that year.
With several offensive additions made early in the winter and an indication that Jeff McNeil would return to second base, it quickly became clear the Mets did not intend to give Baez the long-term deal he sought. In turn, Baez would sign a six-year, $140 million deal with the rebuilding Detroit Tigers.
Outside concerns about Baez’ history of being a streaky, undisciplined hitter proved true in 2022. He slumped mightily to a .671 OPS in 144 games, more than a hundred points off his career OPS entering the year (.783).
Frankly, there weren’t many bright spots at all for Baez in the first year of his new contract. While his strikeout rate of 24.9% was below his career norm, it still put him in the bottom third of the league and was magnified by deficiencies in getting on base (.278 on-base percentage) and hitting for power (just 17 home runs in 550 at-bats). Defensively at shortstop, he graded at minus-5 defensive runs saved, which was statistically the worst single season of his career.
With the Tigers coming off a 96-loss season and not expected to contend anytime soon, Baez can opt-out of his deal after 2023 if he chooses, although it might be wiser for him to continue playing at his current guaranteed salary if his struggles continue. Either way, it’s a problem the Mets are surely glad to have avoided.
2) Former NY Mets who failed in 2022: Steven Matz
A 14-win season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 put Matz back on the Mets’ radar as he headed back to free agency. What seemed to be an eventual reunion between Matz and his hometown team, however, quickly turned into a media circus that produced negative feelings between both parties upon Matz signing a four-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Fortunately for the Mets, they quickly turned their offseason narrative around with a flurry of moves later that winter, highlighted by the additions of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to the rotation after Matz turned them down. In hindsight, the change in fortune turned out even better as 2022 unfolded.
Matz’ first season with the Cardinals was unfortunately truncated to just 15 games and 10 starts due to knee and shoulder injuries. When he was on the mound, however, he showed the inconsistencies that marred the end of his Mets’ tenure, pitching to a 5.25 ERA across 48 innings.
The positive news for Matz is that he proved to be a solid option out of the bullpen for St. Louis down the stretch, with a 1.69 ERA across five September relief appearances. But overall, it was a disappointing year for the left-hander, leaving more questions than answers for how he projects in his age-32 season and beyond.
3) Former NY Met who failed in 2022: Aaron Loup
Loup was arguably the Mets’ best asset in 2021 – that’s how good he was coming out of the bullpen. The lefty had a career year, with a miniscule 0.95 ERA in just under 57 innings. No Mets pitcher had ever had an ERA that small in as many innings before.
Those numbers translated into a big payday for Loup, but not with the Mets. Loup signed early in the offseason with the Los Angeles Angels for two years and $17 million – a significant jump from his $3 million salary with the Mets.
As 2022 started, many observers – including at least one contributor here – believed that letting Loup walk was a big mistake on the Mets’ part, especially since the team failed to add a high-leverage left hander to the bullpen in his place. And while a lack of left-handed depth did hurt the Mets at times, Loup did not exactly find success on the west coast either.
Despite a nearly identical workload (58 2/3 innings) to the prior year, Loup regressed to a 3.84 ERA in 2022. While he wasn’t necessarily terrible against left-handed batters (.637 OPS against), it paled greatly in comparison to his performance with the Mets (.440 OPS against).
Perhaps the regression wouldn’t have been as dramatic had he re-signed with the Mets – and perhaps it would have made a difference in the Mets’ fortunes down the stretch. But at such a high cost, the value Loup carried with him from 2021 just never quite materialized in 2022.
Next. 3 players the Mets correctly passed on, and 1 they missed. dark