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3 free agent lefty relievers to pair with Brooks Raley
Brooks Raley is currently the top lefty in the New York Mets bullpen. David Peterson could find a role there as could Joey Lucchesi. Each has a history of starting games, minor league options, and could serve the Mets better as a starting pitcher in the minors to promote as needed.
The Mets can search through other team’s rosters for another lefty reliever and hope for a trade. However, the easier route would be to simply look to sign yet another free agent arm.
The market remains robust with options. These three free agent southpaws could be the best fits for the Mets.
1) NY Mets free agent target Andrew Chafin remains unsigned
What is it with Andrew Chafin and him not signing early in free agency? Last offseason, he was a guy Mets fans got to know very well. Before, during, and after the lockout he seemed of sense for Billy Eppler’s ball club. He ended up with the Detroit Tigers and chose to opt out after the first year of the deal.
Once again a free agent, Chafin is coming off of another successful season. The 2.83 ERA he posted in 2022 for the Tigers would look nice coming out of the home team’s bullpen at Citi Field. Chafin has a lifetime ERA of 3.23 with his recent success standing out most positively.
Chafin is more than a lefty reliever, holding righties to a lower batting average last season than he did lefties. A more LOOGY role is what Raley can give the Mets. Chafin is more of a late-inning guy who happens to be a southpaw.
Having Chafin available as an alternative option in the seventh or eighth in addition to Adam Ottavino and David Robertson would be great. He could be a finishing touch to give the Mets the undeniable best relief corps in the game.
2) NY Mets free agent target Matt Moore has reinvented himself in the bullpen
Matt Moore is following the Oliver Perez route. Once a talented young starting pitcher, injuries and ineffectiveness derailed what looked like a promising career ahead of him. Perez’s issues were more about control while Moore can point at injuries a little harder.
Either way, Moore found something pretty special last season. His first year as a full-time reliever with the Texas Rangers was outstanding. He gave them 74 innings in 63 appearances, a 5-2 record, and 1.95 ERA. Just when it looked like his career was over, he got humble and reinvented himself in a new role.
Something quite notable about Moore’s splits from last year is that he was far better against right-handed hitters than lefties. Righties batted .165/.282/.255 against him while lefties slashed .243/.310/.324. A positive spin on it: Moore can handle batters from both sides of the plate and should be able to outperform lefties who struggle against southpaws more than most.
Moore may not be an ideal pitcher for the Mets bullpen to pair with Raley but he does offer something a little bit different. While Raley would be the guy to face a lefty slugger with two outs in the seventh, Moore would be someone Buck Showalter could use for an inning or two against a lefty-righty-lefty matchup without fair of the middle guy doing damage.
Next June is when Moore will 34. He might feel older, but he’s right there with many of the best lefty free agent relievers left on the market.
3) NY Mets free agent target Brad Hand is a solid reunion candidate
Hello, old friend. Brad Hand was a Mets target when he first became available before the 2021 season. They did end up snagging him late in the season following his DFA by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was good for the Mets and put up similar numbers last year as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hand’s career numbers are amazingly not so awesome. It took him a while to find his stride. Those early years when he was working as a starter did a lot of damage to his ERA which now sits at 3.62.
We know better than to trust this number. There was a time when Hand was one of the best closers in baseball. Surprisingly brief now that we look at it, the 2017-2020 seasons helped turn him into a name Mets fans knew even though we rarely saw him.
Hand turns 33 in March which does come as a bit of a shock. I would have guessed he has been on this earth closer to 35 years already. He was a little better against left-handed batters last year than right-handed ones (.217/.319/.367 vs. .226/.344/.293) but would fall more into the setup role like Chafin.
It’s always possible Hand is looking for a chance to be a closer again. The Phillies never seemed dedicated to having him in that role. The Mets don’t have the space, but they can build a multi-headed monster with him in the back of the bullpen before the ball even gets to Diaz.
3 Mets free agents who will be gone after 2023. dark. Next