Reese Kaplan -- Former Mets Doing Well for Other Ballclubs

In the recent past the Mets have chosen to cut, trade away or otherwise cleanse their roster of a number of players who frankly, in most cases, didn’t show very much during their tenure with the big club or even in their development time in the minors.  Sometimes the development occurs a bit later (like Jacob deGrom and Jeff McNeil).  Sometimes the minor league exploits are fantastic but never reach the same level when faced with major league competition.  Sometimes a player hasn’t had the sufficient opportunity to get into a groove while with the Mets and, when given that chance, runs with it.  

One such player who fits this bill is starting pitcher Chris Flexen whose Mets career lasted from an age 17 draft pick in 2012 up through his last major league appearance with the club in 2019.  He was not exactly what you’d call memorable, leaving his parts of three seasons in the majors with a 7.52 cumulative ERA.  No one shed any tears when he was scrubbed from the roster.  Consequently, when he turned in a starting performance for the Mariners Saturday night when he pitched to a victory with 5 IP, 4 hits, no runs and two walks to go along with 6 strikeouts.  

What was perhaps even more surprising was the save earned by another such candidate, Rafael Montero.  His tenure with the Mets was highly confusing as he was truly outstanding throughout his minor league career, but he never seemed to get comfortable with the coaches or manager here, struggling mightily with his control and giving up a lot of runs.  His major league numbers with the Mets were ugly -- 6-16 record with a 5.68 ERA, issuing 111 walks to go along with 189 strikeouts.  He was cut loose and caught on first with the Rangers and then with the Mariners, reinventing himself as a reliever.  His cumulative ERA over this period of three years has been just 3.12 and he saved Flexen’s victory on Saturday.  

Perhaps the most unusual name on the list is former ace starting pitcher Matt Harvey.  Everyone is well aware of his demise after injuries and he has unsuccessfully floated around with trials on the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals before landing this season with the Baltimore Orioles.  During the period of 2018 through 2020 he produced a not very enviable record of 10-17 with a 5.85 ERA.  He gave up 255 hits in 226 innings pitched and struck out 180 while walking 71.  He was not Flexen-bad, but he was not looking anything like the former All-Star caliber pitcher he once was.  In his opening start for the Orioles he pitched credibly but was lifted 1 batter shy of qualifying for a victory.  He struck out 4 and walked only 1 in his 4.2 innings pitched, but again was hittable, giving up 6 of them and allowing 2 earned runs, finishing his first start with a 3.86 ERA.  HIs last good time with the Mets was way back in 2015 when the team made it to the World Series, so no one will be terribly envious if he finally is able to resume pitching well.  

A fan favorite who had some semi-regular time in games was Wilmer Flores.  Yes, he struggled with his defensive abilities, but the man could hit the ball.  His free agency first took him to Arizona where he finished an injury-plagued season hitting .317 with 9 HRs and 37 RBIs in about a half season worth of ABs.  He then moved onto San Francisco where he has hit .271 with a little more power and run production in fewer ABs spread over parts of two seasons.  

Of course, there are some others whose success has been well documented already like Zack Wheeler and Justin Turner.  All the fans can do is wish them well and grumble a bit about the front office personnel who made the decisions to let them go.  Now it’s time not to regret the past but to look forward to the delayed start of the 2021 season in which hopefully some of the veterans from other teams like Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor May, Aaron Loup, Kevin Pillar, Albert Almora, Jonathan Villar, James McCann and Joey Lucchesi can do for the Mets as much or more than they did for their previous employers.