The New York Mets‘ relief corps appear to be in much better shape this year than last. Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia are looking to rebound to some degree, and they have the talent to do so. Seth Lugo is the highest floor option, but Dellin Betances gives the unit an amazing ceiling and Robert Gsellman, Justin Wilson, Jared Hughes and Brad Brach are excellent complementary pieces.
However, a name that may sneak up and contribute for the Mets later in the season is Drew Smith, the talented right-handed reliever that hasn’t had any luck with injuries so far.
The 26-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, he has been throwing off a mound since March and could be an option for manager Luis Rojas later down the road despite the fact that he is unlikely to be quite ready for the start of the season.
The Mets have plans for him this season
The New York Mets included Smith in their 60-man player pool of alternatives for the season, which means that the chances of him appearing in 2020 are quite high.
Smith had his Tommy John surgery in March 2019, so he certainly has time on his side. The third round selection in the 2015 draft pitched in 27 games as a rookie out of the Mets’ bullpen in 2018. He had a 3.54 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 28 innings.
The Mets had acquired Smith from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for first baseman Lucas Duda in July 2017. He has had impressive short stints in the minors and was even considered a top 30 prospect by the team at some point until he blew up his elbow.
With teams looking at a very short and compressed calendar of 60 games in 66 days, the Mets may be looking for fresh arms at some point in the summer, and Smith has shown the talent to warrant at least an extended opportunity in the bigs.