5 Mets players under contract for 2024 the fans are ready to move on from

5) NY Mets fans have learned to dread relief appearances from Drew Smith

Where did it all go wrong for Drew Smith? A deeper dive into some of his numbers, he was probably always destined to be much more mediocre than he had been in the past. Strong ERA seasons in the past have included weaker FIPs to suggest Smith was more lucky than good at times.

However you’d like to personally spin the numbers positively or negatively, the one thing everyone agrees on is that Smith just isn’t capable of taking the next step. He had been a quality middle reliever for the Mets in the seventh inning. Asking for much is apparently too much.

Smith logged 56.1 innings this year and gave the Mets a 4.15 ERA performance. An ERA+ of 102 and 4.55 FIP all point toward how average of a bullpen arm he was. Mets fans know he was probably even below the curve as he seemed to specialize in coming up small in big moments. Hitters had their most fun against him in medium leverage situations, owning a .911 OPS versus him in those 72 plate appearances.

Smith is now only a year away from free agency. He does have some trade value and if the Mets are looking to retool and make available anyone who isn’t tied down beyond 2024, trading him in the offseason feels like something to do.