Bullpen Depth Would Be the Cherry on Top for Mets

Some sweet relief to end an eventful offseason would serve this group well

With Seth Lugo out until mid-May or later, the Mets are in the market for another relief pitcher. They have reached out to right-handers Shane Greene and Jeremy Jeffress, both considered above-average relievers with late-inning experience.

Many are surprised Greene, 32, hasn’t been picked up yet after coming off a very good 2019 and 2020.

Greene posted a 2.30 ERA in 2019 and a 2.60 ERA in 2020. He’s a pitch-to-contact guy which may give some teams pause and his velocity has diminished a bit.

Although his fastball velocity is in the 16th percentile and his whiff rate is in the 11th, Greene is at the 71st percentile in expected earned run average, 69th in hard-hit rate, and 75th in expected slugging percentage.

Even with a low whiff rate, Greene manages to consistently get hitters out and is arguably a very underrated pitcher.

Jeffress, 33, (career ERA of 3.08 over 11 seasons) is fresh off a strong 2020 season with the Cubs, posting a 1.54 ERA over 23.1 innings pitched.

The righty has recently increased the use of his split-finger. It became his primary pitch in 2020, holding hitters to a .158 weighted on-base average.

Jeffress’s pitch arsenal also includes a sinker, curveball, and four-seam. In almost every stat, he is considered average or slightly below average. However, he boasts a stand-out barrel percentage, ranking in the 91st percentile last season.

Jeffress could be a great low-risk add for the Mets with some potential upside if he finds continued success with the split-finger.

Another low-risk, high-reward pick-up for the Mets could be former Yankees standout, right-hander David Robertson.

Robertson — once known for his nasty cutter — sat out most of the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019.

When he was cross-town, Robertson was one of the more consistent bullpen arms in major league baseball. In his 12 seasons, which included a 2009 World Series win in the Bronx, the 35-year-old has achieved a 2.90 career ERA.

If the Mets can sign him to a cheap deal and get anything close to what Robertson has been capable of in his career, it would be a win.

All three of these arms are realistic adds for the Mets going into the 2021 season and would fill a huge need in the bullpen. The Mets should prioritize Greene and Jeffress who have momentum coming off great seasons.

If they can’t, Robertson is an option worth considering. Both Greene and Jeffress could be asking for up to $7 million due to having watched Rosenthal sign with the A’s for $11 million.

The Mets are still about $16 million under the luxury tax threshold so the money is there.

One of these arms would be the cherry on top of the successful first offseason of the Steve Cohen era.

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