4 best left-handed free agent relievers the Mets should keep an eye on

The New York Mets bullpen continues to have some questions. There are three spots up for grabs. Only one of them is locked up with a left-handed reliever, Brooks Raley.

The other three spots could currently be filled by something like a long-man, David Peterson or Joey Lucchesi as a second lefty, and one of the many low-risk options they’ve been adding all offseason.

Billy Eppler can do himself a big favor adding one of these remaining free agent left-handed relievers. He’ll need to act quickly. There’s no telling how soon they’ll sign.

1) Andrew Chafin is the best option for the NY Mets bullpen

You can’t talk about lefties the Mets have needed to sign without mentioning Andrew Chafin. They needed him last year but passed on a deal. They need him now and yet we’re halfway through January and he remains unsigned.

Chafin is more than just your standard lefty you bring into the game to get the final out against Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, or Freddie Freeman. Yes, he does throw left-handed. He’s much more capable than being used in that way.

Fresh from another successful season, this time with the Detroit Tigers, he actually posted better numbers versus right-handed hitters than lefties: .214/.268/.318 vs. .233/.320/.344. Could this be why Eppler hasn’t been so eager to sign him?

The Mets have spent a lot of money this offseason and one more free agent reliever in Chafin’s class would be a worthy move to make. Last year’s contract paid him $6.5 million. Can we get him signed for above $7.5 million for two seasons?

2) Matt Moore is even less of a lefty specialist for the NY Mets to consider signing

Matt Moore remains a bit of a wild card because of his history. Until 2022, he had primarily been a big league starter until some failures led him to a relief role. The transition was a wise choice. As a member of the Texas Rangers in 2022, Moore was superb.

Numbers include 74 innings in 63 appearances, a 5-2 record, 1.95 ERA, and 10.1 strikeouts per 9. It seemed like a no-brainer decision for him to shift to a relief role after such a rough campaign a year earlier with the Philadelphia Phillies. Was this a mirage or is Moore following in the footsteps of many other pitchers?

Like Chafin, splits were reversed for Moore in 2022. The old way of thinking may be a dead art in the sport. The three-batter minimum rule in place makes it necessary for relievers to know how to retire batters from both boxes.

Moore held righties to a .165/.282/.255 slash line while lefties were more successful, batting .243/.310/.324. Once again, maybe the Mets feel it’s not so necessary to target a lefty who was better against right-handed hitters last year.

Because he was a starter as recently as 2021, Moore can give the Mets length out of the bullpen. It might be a little redundant to sign him for a role like that considering they already employ Joey Lucchesi and David Peterson who could do the same. Nonetheless, Moore is worth checking in on.

3) Will Smith is a high-reward addition the NY Mets shouldn’t be shy about making

Once Will Smith was traded to the Houston Astros last year from the Atlanta Braves, he found his old self again. Smith was actually not that great with Atlanta for two and a half seasons. The 3.87 ERA and 42 saves is not what they signed up for.

A coveted lefty reliever in the past who became a successful closer briefly for the San Francisco Giants, Smith does have some stock to rebuild. However, the 3.27 ERA performance in 22 innings for the Astros in the final two months of the year was promising enough to at least look at him as a worthy buy as long as the price is right.

Home runs have been a bit of an issue for Smith and his control is far from elite. Surprisingly, he’s only 33. It feels like he has been around much longer.

Smith hasn’t gotten much attention at all this offseason. It would make sense for the Mets to wait and see him lower his asking price. Even putting him behind Raley on the depth chart makes sense. Watching him pass by and become a late-inning option for Buck Showalter wouldn’t be a shock either.

Plus, if you’re suspicious, Smith has won a World Series in back-to-back years. He’s the Terrance Gore of relievers right now.