Brad Brach
Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

The New York Mets are taking a flyer on Brad Brach and hoping he can regain some of his old magic as a lockdown reliever.

The one glaring weakness for the New York Mets is obvious: the bullpen. In an attempt to bolster that bullpen, the Mets have signed free agent Brad Brach.

The former All-Star was a disaster with the Chicago Cubs this season. In 39.2 innings, he posted a 6.13 ERA with a 1.765 WHIP.

However, he’s only one year removed from an impressive stint with the Atlanta Braves. In 27 games with the Braves, after being traded by the Baltimore Orioles, he posted a 1.52 ERA with 22 strikeouts against just nine walks.

If we travel back to 2016, Brach was one of the premier relievers in the game. During his All-Star season with the Orioles, he allowed 18 earned runs in 79 innings.

The Mets are hoping they can find lightning in a bottle with Brach. In fact, his lopsided 2019 ERA is misleading. His FIP sits at a respectable 4.13 this season. That would signal that he’s probably suffered some bad luck on the mound this season.

Brach doesn’t need to be a savior, but he can add depth to a bullpen that is still shaky, at best. Closer Edwin Diaz has been better of late, but he’s still fairly dependable. Seth Lugo is the most reliable bullpen arm for Mickey Callaway at the moment.

Robert Gsellman and Justin Wilson are solid options, but they run the risk of being overworked if Callaway relies too heavily on this duo. Brach should help take the load off their shoulders while Jeurys Familia tries to figure out why he’s pitching to a 6.69 ERA.

On a team that is starting to get hot at the right time, the Mets are doing the right thing by taking a flyer on Brad Brach.

Commercial content writer for Sportradar. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.