Relief Jug Brad Brach went through his normal exercise routine on Thursday morning with a close friend and now ex-partner Steven Matz, which Mets negotiated with Toronto Blue Jays the night before in exchange for three candidates.
To no surprise, Brach and Matz discussed the elephant in the room, as Matz was traded for the first time in his career by the only team he met at Mets.
“It is the first time that he knows that someone really wants him there,” Brach told Metsmerized in an exclusive telephone interview. “Not that Mets didn’t want you, but it’s always nice to know that you’re wanted elsewhere and that will be a good reminder for Steve.”
Matz was prepared by Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft. The Long Island native joined the big leagues with the Amazins in 2015 at the age of 24 and helped them reach the World Series, filling a dominant rotation that consisted of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and new buddy Noah Syndergaard.
The southpaw was designed to be the best starter, but injuries and inconsistency prevented what should have been a stellar career with the Mets. In six seasons in Queens, Matz had a record 31-41 in 107 matches, launching for an ERA of 4.35 and an FIP of 4.49. He also struggled with the long ball, allowing a total of 96 home runs. Last season, Matz suffered the worst year of his stay in the major league, going 0-5 with an ERA of 9.68 and yielding 14 homers in 30.2 innings.
Like Matz, Brach had a similar experience with the San Diego Padres, who summoned him in 2008 and had extremely high expectations when he arrived on the show.
“I felt like they expected something else to happen and never got to that point,” said Brach. “This is what I noticed with Steve. When the same eyes have seen the same jar for so long, it is difficult to make changes, so I think he needs new eyes on it. It has everything you would want in a left-handed starter. “
Brach ended up being traded by the Orioles in 2013 and eventually brought it all together later in his career, becoming an Baltimore All-Star in 2016.
The Freehold, New Jersey native believes that a change of scenery may be exactly what the doctor ordered for Matz, because now he can go back to doing what makes him successful.
“I told Steve, I was a man who simulated early in my career,” said Brach. “You can’t please people too much. You need to find out what works for you before you do what everyone wants. “
Although Mets chose to bid Matz at the beginning of the off-season for $ 5.2 million, negotiating with him takes that salary out of the books this year. This could pave the way for Steve Cohen and co. sign Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer, to whom they have been strongly connected recently.
If the Mets added Bauer to their initial rotation, Brach thinks it would have a tremendous effect on the bullpen as well.
“Obviously, adding someone like that strengthens your rotation, which puts less pressure on the bullpen,” he said.
After a fight against COVID-19 last summer, Brach had a tough season for the Mets full of “starts and stops”, where he posted a 5.84 worst career ERA while issuing 14 walks on 12.1 Appetizer. But the 34-year-old says he is ready to put in the rearview mirror last year, as his arm was admittedly out of shape due to the unorthodox circumstances caused by the pandemic.
Brach says he is a person who benefits from putting stress on his arm, as it helps to strengthen him over the season. He also said that this is the best his arm has felt in years and hopes to be back around his normal speed of 94-95 mph, which he was unable to achieve in a season.
The right-handed veteran has played for the new Mets catcher James McCann this off-season, with whom he has built chemistry in recent years. And given his vast experience together, Brach’s familiarity with McCann may contribute to a 2021 recovery campaign.
