Rescue launcher Brad Brach he went through the normal training routine Thursday morning with a close friend and now former teammate Steven Matz, which the Mets dealt with the Toronto Blue Jays the night before in exchange for three possible ones.
Unsurprisingly, Brach and Matz argued about the elephant in the room, as Matz was traded for the first time in his career for the only team he has ever met at the Mets.
“It’s the first time he knows someone really wants him,” Brach told Metsmerized in an exclusive phone interview. “Not so much that the Mets didn’t want him, but it’s always good to know they want you somewhere else and it will be a good refreshment for Steve.”
Matz was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft. The Long Island native reached the big leagues with the Amazons in 2015 at the age of 24 and helped them reach the World Series, completing a dominant rotation consisting of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and novice companion Noah Syndergaard.
The left-hander was projected to be a front-line starter, but injuries and inconsistency prevented what was supposed to be a stellar career with the Mets. In six seasons in Queens, Matz had a 31-41 record in 107 starts while throwing at an ERA of 4.35 and FIP of 4.49. He also struggled with the long ball, allowing a total of 96 homers. Last season, Matz endured the worst year of his tenure in the Major League, going 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA and yielding 14 homers in 30.2 innings.
Like Matz, Brach had a similar experience with the San Diego Padres, who drafted him in 2008 and had extremely high expectations once he got on the show.
“It seemed to me that they were still waiting for something else to come and it never got to that point,” Brach said. “It simply came to our notice then. When the same eyes have seen the same pitcher for so long, it’s hard to make changes, so I think you need new eyes. He has everything you want in a left-back. “
Brach ended up being traded to the Orioles in 2013 and would eventually reunite him all later in his career becoming Baltimore’s All-Star in 2016.
The Freehold, New Jersey native believes a change of scenery could be what the doctor ordered Matz to do now because he can do again what makes him successful.
“I told Steve that at the beginning of my career he was a man of his own,” Brach said. “You can’t be too nice to people. You have to figure out what works for you before you do what everyone else wants. “
Although the Mets chose to offer Matz earlier this low season for $ 5.2 million, the trade with him gets that book salary this year. This could pave the way for Steve Cohen and colleagues. sign Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer, to whom they have been closely related until the end.
If the Mets added Bauer to their initial rotation, Brach believes it would also have a huge effect on the bullring.
“Obviously, adding someone like that boosts your rotation, which puts less pressure on the bullpen,” he said.
After a bout with COVID-19 last summer, Brach had a season of his own for the Mets full of “starts and stops,” where he posted a worst ERA of 5.84 in the race while issuing 14 rides in 12 , 1 tickets. But the 34-year-old says he is willing to put last year in hindsight as his arm was out of shape due to unorthodox circumstances sparked by the pandemic.
Brach says he’s someone who benefits from stressing his arm, as it helps strengthen him as the season progresses. He also said this is the best his arm has felt in years and hopes to return to his normal speed of 94-95 mph, which he was unable to reach a season ago.
The right-handed veteran has been pitching towards the new Mets receiver James McCann this low season, with whom he has built chemistry in recent years. And given their great experience together, Brach’s familiarity with McCann could contribute to a 2021 recovery campaign.
