New York Mets: Three free agent relievers to upgrade the bullpen
By Nick Stevens
The New York Mets are looking for quality left-handed bullpen help. Here are three options that fit the mold.
Can we get some activity going in the free agency market, please? Save us, Steve Cohen and the New York Mets!
To be fair, at least the Mets have already gone out and signed backstop James McCann and reliever Trevor May, two very good signings that signal the beginning of a new era in New York, an era Mets faithful have been impatiently waiting for.
But the New York Mets are done quite yet. Trevor Bauer is still out there, so is George Springer, and trade pieces like Francisco Lindor are still being dangled out to the rest of the league.
One area in which we can be as certain as one can be during free agency, is that the New York Mets will likely go after a left-handed reliever to solidify the bullpen, having already been connected to one dominant closer capable of giving the Mets a reliable late-inning arm.
Here are three options the New York Mets should consider this winter.
LHP Brad Hand
Let’s start with the most obvious left-handed candidate and recent hot stove rumor, Brad Hand.
Hand has been a standout closer since 2017, accumulating 5.6 Wins Above Replacement during stints with the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians. His lowest strikeout rate since the ’17 season was 33.4%, with his highest ERA coming in 2019 at an impressive 3.30 (2.80 FIP that season).
He’s the top LH reliever on the market and after being placed on waivers by Cleveland, who refused to pay him $10 million next season, every single team passed on him, meaning the New York Mets could land him for two-three years at less than $10 per season. A pretty good deal for a three-time All-Star coming off a huge season in Cleveland.
Hand led the league with 16 saves, recording a 2.05 ERA (1.37 FIP) with a 33.7% strikeout rate and career-low 4.7% walk rate.
Sandy Alderson has previously stated that he would have likely claimed Hand if he had the ability to earlier. Perhaps, a move is made now that a new front office is in place and is eager to present a winning club to the fans.