Familiar Faces Return

The 2021 Mets’ bullpen will include two more pitchers from the tristate area.

Brad Brach and Dellin Betances.

Both players exercised their player options and will be wearing orange and blue for at least another 12 months.

Brach’s salary will be worth $2.075 million next season. After incentives, Betances will rake in over 6 million dollars.

Hey, he couldn’t have foreseen a global pandemic, but Brodie Van Wagenen included player options in these deals to Brach and Betances. Both these pitchers are whistling Dixie today. They’d never make that type of money on the open market this off-season.

Neither Brach or Betances were very productive in 2020. Brach put up a 5.84 ERA in 12 innings. Betances pitched to a 7.71 ERA over 11 innings.

You would have to think that 2021 will be better.

Brad Brach contracted the Corona virus and missed spring training. He surrendered 6 of his 8 earned runs in two of his last three appearances of the season.

It’s a little harder to find any positives in Betances’ 2020 campaign.

His fastball was down almost 4 miles from his time in the Bronx. His 0.92 strikeout to walk ratio was very alarming.

It’s no secret that Betances has had his career derailed by injuries.

Betances was one of the premier setup men in the league. He was absolutely dominant. At age 32, are his best days all behind him? Do any more good days lie ahead?

I’m willing to have him find out the answers to those questions in Queens.

Excuse me for spending our new owner’s money already, but 6 million dollars is a small price to pay for Betances’ upside.

Welcome back Dellin and Brad. Let’s see what you got!