Tom Brennan - Bullpen Bull's Eyes

(Author's note: I wrote this article a few days ago, figuring "what could change?"  But with Lugo out of the pen, Diaz hurt (cramp?), and Wilson lousy on Wednesday nite, maybe this article was premature, and perhaps even a jinx).

Finally!  A bullpen that seems to actually function.

The Mets' bullpen in 2018 and 2019 was abysmal.

You've all felt it - so there, I said it.  

Hopefully, uttering those words will promote healing for everyone from the emotional damage of traumas past.

The Mets' Prescription Dept. sought out new and more effective prescriptions this past off season and look what they found:  

Shrevitol, and Jaredinol.    Wonder drugs.

Effectiveness of both of these increases with high doses, I am told.

That's right, the Mets went out and got some dudes to shore up that stinky pen, while hoping that Messrs. Diaz and Familia could put their 2019 disasters in the rear view mirror.

Who did they get?

Chase Shreve:

The 30 year old lefty mysteriously spent almost the entire season in the St. Louis Cardinals minors (where he pitched well, in case you were wondering).  

Had he been a Met in 2019, no chance that would have happened.  He would have been with the mother ship in Queens all year long.

But that is where the Cardinals had him - AAA to be precise.

Amazing, considering that in his MLB career, he is 17-8, 3.68 in 224 appearances and 251 Ks in 215 IP.  And just 30 years of age.  What's with the assignment to the netherworld known as the minors?  I dunno.

In 2014-18, he had just one year with an ERA above 4.00. In that season in 2016, he had 37 outings, and about 5 were bad - all you need when you throw limited innings is a few stinkers and there goes the ballooning ERA.

So the Mets were smarty pants on this one.  Shreve has only had one shaky Mets outing so far, but it was well timed, as the Mets trailed that game by double digits at the time, so who frankly cares.

Overall as a Met, 11.1 IP, 6 hits, 17 Ks (all #s for 2020 in this article are thru Sunday).  I'll take a guy with a 3:1 Ks vs. hits allowed ratio any time.  His last outing?  Sweet indeed - 2.1 IP, no hits or walks, 5 Ks.

Glad to have ya, Mr. Shreve, and I am clueless as to what St. Louis was thinking.  Usually, they are a smart club.

Then of course there is Jared Hughes.

His 2019 was OK - 72 outings, 5-5, 4.04 ERA.  He would have been super useful in the Mets' 2019 pen.

In 2018, he was 4-3, with a stellar 1.94 ERA in - you guessed it - 72 outings.  Man likes to be in about 45% of the games if he can - do the math.

He and Brandon Nimmo both years led the majors in in exuberance.  Exuberance coupled with performance is a very sweet thing.

So far this season, he's got a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings.  An ERA unheard of in the 2019 pen, but most welcome in 2020.

Another gem of an acquisition.

Happily, Brad Brach is back!  4 innings, just one run, and so far an 0-0 record (actually 1-0, since he beat Covid).  A 3.38 ERA in his short two year tenure with the Metropolitans.

Even if Seth Lugo does in fact move to the rotation, this pen is a big improvement over the 2019 firestarter version.  And that is a most welcome thing.

Dellin Betances, yet another off-season acquisition, would have been a lousy pick up, except for the nearly 4 month COVID delay to the season, to allow him to really heal up.  In March, he was just not ready.  

He has been a bit rocky (9 IP, 6 runs), but I have a feeling that his rust is just about off and he will pay dividends down the stretch in the last 30 + games.

Finally, another return-from-injury dude Drew Smith, has looked as sharp as a barber's razor with 6 innings of 5 hit, 2 run, no walk, 6 K ball, including some key stop-the-bleeding outs.  In his Mets career, just 13 runs allowed in 34 innings shows he has the ability to perform successfully.  Just 26, he may be a mainstay of this pen for years to come.

Overall, after Diaz, Wilson, and Familia, there are some excellent tools in the shed this time around.  Bodes well for the Mets' stretch drive, especially if Matzie in the pen can avoid pitching like a patsy.