Lighting jar Brad Brach went through his normal training routine with good friend and now former teammate on Thursday morning Steven Matz, which the Mets gave to the Toronto Blue Jays the night before in exchange for three prospects.
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 has ever known in the Mets.
“This is the first time he knows someone really wants him there,” Brach told Metsmerized in an exclusive telephone interview. “Not so much that the Mets did not want him, but it’s always nice to know you’re looking elsewhere, and that’s going to be a good refreshment for Steve.
Matz was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft. The native of Long Island reached a major league with the Amazons at the age of 24 in 2015 and helped them reach the World Series and fill a dominant rotation that exists Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and fellow rookie Noah Syndergaard.
The left-hander is predicted to be a leading player, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented an excellent career at the Mets. In six seasons at Queens, Matz started a 31-41 record in 107, while having an ERA of 4.35 and FIP of 4.49. He also struggled with the long ball and allowed 96 total home runs. Last season, Matz endured the worst year of his major league period, trailing 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA and 14 homers in 30.2 overs.
Like Matz, Brach had a similar experience with the San Diego Padres, who drafted him in 2008 and had exceptionally high expectations when he reached the show.
“I felt like they kept waiting for something else to come, and it never got to that point,” Brach said. “I noticed that with Steve. If the same eyes have seen the same jug for so long, it’s hard to make changes, so I think he needs new eyes on him. He has all the stuff you want in a left-handed appetizer. ‘
Brach traded with the Orioles in 2013 and eventually put it all together later when he became an All-Star for Baltimore in 2016.
The resident of Freehold, New Jersey, believes a change in nature may just be what the doctor ordered for Matz, because he can now go back to doing what makes him successful.
“I told Steve I was such a yes-man early in my career,” Brach said. “You can not satisfy too many people. You need to find out what works for you before you do what everyone wants. ‘
Although the Mets chose to offer Matz $ 5.2 million earlier this season, he is getting this salary out of the trade this year. It could possibly pave the way for Steve Cohen and co. to draw Cy Young award-winning winner Trevor Bauer, to whom there has been late connection.
If the Mets were to add Bauer to their starting rotation, Brach thinks it would also have a huge effect on the bullpen.
“Of course, adding someone like that strengthens your rotation, which puts less pressure on the bull,” he said.
After a fight with COVID-19 last summer, Brach had a difficult season for the Mets, filled with “start and stop”, where he posted a worst career run of 5.84, while running 14 runs in 12.1 issued turns. But the 34-year-old says he is ready to sit back last year because his arm was out of shape due to the unorthodox circumstances that the pandemic brought.
Brach says he is someone who benefits from putting strain on his arm as it helps boost the season. He also said that this is the best his arm has felt in years, and he expects his normal speed to be 94-95 km / h, which he could not achieve a season ago.
The veteran right-hander threw to the new Mets catcher James McCann this off-season, with whom he has built up chemistry over the past few years. And because of their vast experience together, Brach’s familiarity with McCann could contribute to a 2021 campaign.
