The worst Mets free agent signing of a relief pitcher

It is no secret that over the years the New York Mets have made some questionable offseason free agent signings that turned out to be a disaster. You can names from Rick Porcello, to Michael Wacha, to Dellin Betances, and many more. These signings just did not pan out as the Mets would have hoped.

But one that comes to mind that no one really talks about is veteran reliever Anthony Swarzak. His time in Queens was very short lived and it was fewed by some as one of the worst moves the Mets have made and they're right! Here is why relief pitcher Anthony Swarzak was the worst free agent the Mets made for a relief pitcher.

Why the Mets signing Anthony Swarzak was the worst relief pitcher signing

The Mets in 2018 were looking to bounce back after they went 70-92 the previous year and they desperately needed to improve their bullpen which had an ERA over five in 2017. So, Sandy Alderson and the Mets front office decided to bring in some veteran depth by signing reliever Anthony Swarzak on a two-year, $14 million contract. Right away, the move looked bad.

In his very first outing as a Met against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 3, Swarzak was forced to leave the game after suffering an oblique strain that placed him on the injured list all the way up till June 5. But once he came back, Swarzak was not as effective as the Mets had hoped. Swarzak only ended up pitching 26.1 innings going 0-2 on the season with an ERA of 6.15 and gave up six home runs along the way. So, it is safe to say that it was not the results Swarzak or the Mets would have hoped for.

Swarzak was later traded in that infamous trade package to the Seattle Mariners that involved Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz.

The Mets have always been known for making bad offseason moves that immediately backfire for the team and not many talks about this one. Swarzak was supposed to give the Mets a major boost and they were hoping he would after he went 6-4 with a 2.48 ERA with both the Twins and the Brewers the year prior. This move just never worked out as the Mets had hoped after signing him for two years, he was gone after barely playing one season.