Struggling Mets pitcher is feeling a little too much like a past trade addition

Was Phil Maton the best New York Mets trade deadline addition? Acquired a little earlier than the end of July frenzy, he posted a 2-1 record and 2.51 ERA in 28.2 regular season innings. Acquired merely for cash from the Tampa Bay Rays, Maton was an awesome addition to a Mets bullpen in need of help.

A poor postseason debut for the ball club on Wednesday paired with the results from his appearance against the Atlanta Braves this week have him trending in the wrong direction, at the wrong time.

His season is beginning to feel a lot like a past Mets trade deadline addition. Remember how great Addison Reed was in 2015?

Mets reliever Phil Maton is mirroring the 2015 performance of Addison Reed

Reed was a terrific Mets reliever back in 2015. Acquired right before September hit when trades could still be made in August, he didn’t allow a single run—earned or unearned—until October 3. How ironic that we’re at the 9-year anniversary.

A pair crossed the plate in a loss versus the Washington Nationals. The blemish wasn’t worrisome for a guy whose ERA jumped up to only 1.17 as a member of the Mets.

Then came the postseason. Reed allowed a run in 1.1 innings versus the Los Angeles Dodgers spanning two appearances. He managed to toss two perfect innings versus the Chicago Cubs in the following round. In the World Series is where things got real messy.

Maybe it was a case of overuse. After all, Reed pitched in all five games of the 2015 World Series. It was in the final appearance when it all fell apart. Reed was on the mound for the 12th inning when the Kansas City Royals put the Mets away for good. All 5 runs were charged to him. Only one was unearned when a Daniel Murphy error let it unravel further.

We’re not quite at the World Series stage of the 2024 season and yet the similarities between Reed and Maton are difficult to fully ignore.

To his credit, Reed’s runs he allowed in that postseason came at the beginning and end. He went 7 straight appearances without anyone tallying a run against him. A workhorse in the World Series who’d end up throwing 60 pitches in three days (the last 28 coming in his horrendous 12th inning outing), it was all of the good we remember Reed for most even if things ended badly. How can we blame him, the same way it’s difficult to hold Maton accountable when the whole reason he has been on the mound this often is due to others playing so ineffectively?

Maton has now thrown 70 pitches in the last 5 days. Child’s play compared to what Reed did.

Cross your fingers Maton gets his chance to go 7 straight playoff appearances for the Mets without giving up a run.