5 Mets free agent targets to bolster the bullpen who won't cost a whole lot of money

The New York Mets entered the offseason with the main target of fixing the areas that were deficient in 2023 and did not allow them to be a competitive team. Among all the things David Stearns should focus more effort on is the bullpen, which was an element that showed inconsistency throughout the season.

The Mets bullpen ranked as the eighth-worst team in the league in ERA among relievers. The team must focus its efforts on trying to get help in free agency, and these five candidates are ideal due to their relationship between the potential they provide and their cost.

Dylan Floro has proven to be a reliable reliever

Former Miami Marlins reliever Dylan Floro has been a capable and reliable reliever over the past four years. During the 2020-2022 period, Floro averaged an ERA below 3.00 and limited the hard-hit contact of his opponents among the best 10% in the entire MLB.

During the 2023 season, Floro presented certain inconsistencies when limiting the production of hits and runs of the opponents, especially in the second half of the season. However, a fact to take into account is that Floro's transfer to the Minnesota Twins affected his performance because Target Field in Minnesota is a stadium where the ball travels more to extra bases than the Miami Marlins stadium.

Regardless of final results in 2023, Floro could be a reliable weapon as a middle reliever in the Mets' bullpen at a relatively low cost, leaving the team with the flexibility to improve in other areas or to add another piece to the bullpen. Floro is an experienced pitcher with knowledge of the National League East Division, who could be a good weapon in the Mets bullpen.

Phil Maton looks like a real deal for the Mets

Phil Maton appears to be an under-the-radar candidate this offseason in free agency. The unrestricted free agent who has been part of the Houston Astros organization since 2021, showed good numbers this season.

One of the qualities that most adorn Maton's career has been his ability to induce or limit hard-hit contact from his opponents. Over the past two years, the 30-year-old reliever has managed to keep his opponents' exit velocity below 85 mph, ranking in the top 3% of the league.

During the 2023 season, Maton's numbers were even better than his past seasons. Maton managed to keep hitters' hard-hit contact at 23.5%, the lowest of his career, and limited the opposition to hitting for an expected batting average of just .192 and an expected slugging average of .322.

Maton's success this season was due to the greater use of his curveball, which he hit for a BA of .168 with an SLG of just .280. Despite not being a flame thrower reliever, Maton has managed to keep generating enough swing and misses from his opponents necessary to avoid damage.

Maton would be an excellent piece in the Mets bullpen for the 2024 season and beyond. His experience allows him to be a reliable reliever even in high-leverage situations at a low cost.

The Mets can steal Pierce Johnson from the Atlanta Braves

Pierce Johnson was not an efficient pitcher this season with the Colorado Rockies in the first part of the year. During his time at Coors Field, his ERA averaged 6.49, allowing seven home runs in 34 innings pitched.

However, after his transfer to the Atlanta Braves, Pierce managed to post a microscopic ERA of 0.76 with 32 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched with the Braves. This resulted in his K% sitting at 32.5% on the season right in the top 4% of the entire MLB.

A responsible part of Johnson's success with the Atlanta Braves was the use of his curveball which he used almost 60% of the time, generating a 40% swing and miss with his 2943 spin rate. These adjustments caused Johnson to lower his ERA from around 6.00 to 4.02 to close the season.

Johnson is not a young pitcher as he is set to enter free agency at age 33 this offseason. This and his results in the recent past with Colorado may limit his value in the market, making him an opportunity pitcher for the Mets due to his ability to generate strikeouts and be effective in high-leverage situations.

The Mets could benefit from a veteran pitcher like Brent Suter

The Colorado Rockies veteran left-hander is a free agent this offseason at the age of 34. Suter is a pitcher known to David Stearns as he spent the first seven years of his career in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Suter is a player who relies heavily on his sinker and change-up to retire hitters which do not generate enough Whiff% to increase his swing and miss ability but are effective in limiting power contact. This has been a key factor in Suter's results with Colorado, especially because of the negative effect that Coors Field has on pitchers.

Suter has never been a high-velocity pitcher, but his pitches have enough location and spin rate to limit the damage to his opponents. This is demonstrated in his 2023 numbers where Suter managed to maintain an ERA below 3.40, ranking in the top 1% of the league in hard-hit contact allowed and in the top 7% of the league in xSLG.

Suter would be a reliable option on a one-year contract for the Mets as a transition pitcher at a time of adjustments within the organization. Along with Brooks Raley, Suter would be an important weapon in the Mets bullpen to limit the damage of left-handed hitters at a very low cost.