Donnie Hart

New York Mets: Donnie Hart Year in Review

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The final New York Mets player review is on the southpaw Donnie Hart. He came to the Mets late in the season and made a very brief cameo, which resulted in one innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hart arrived with the Mets in August after they claimed him off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. During his time in Milwaukee, Hart pitched in 6.2 innings without allowing a run. The move seemed like a solid one to bolster the back end of the Mets bullpen.

One Inning Wonder

Hart made his Mets debut during their 13-2 win against the Pirates and retired the side on nine pitches. It seemed they would keep him around to finish the season, but just five days later, they signed Brad Brach. Hart went down to Syracuse, where he struggled, allowing five runs in 7.1 innings. The Mets recalled him in September, but he did not pitch again with them.

Hart became a free agent once the season ended and is unlikely to return with the Mets in 2020. He did join fellow lefty, Ryan O’Rourke, as the only pitchers to finish 2019 with a 0.00 ERA.

Grades:

Pitching Repertoire: D, Fastball, slider, change-up, and all of them are slow.

Control: A+

Composure: N/A

Intangibles: N/A

Overall: A+, Minimal sample size

What does reliever Brad Brach bring to the New York Mets?

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New York Mets sign Brad Brach.

The New York Mets made a flurry of roster moves Thursday, headlined by signing veteran reliever Brad Brach. The Chicago Cubs released him on August 5th after a nightmare season. In 42 games he had a 6.13 ERA and walked 28 batters in 39.2 innings, after multiple good years.

This is a low risk move that couple pay off in a major way for the Mets. Judging by his ERA and walks this season, he would fit the mold of the June Mets bullpen. Diving deeper into the numbers shows a FIP of 4.13 which is lower than Steven Matz. His 10.2 K/9 is on par with the past years in his career.

How Can Brach Improve?

Pitching coach Phil Regan has played a major role of getting the Mets pitching staff back on track and they hope he does the same with Brach. He was one of the most consistent relievers in all of baseball during his time with the Baltimore Orioles and half a year with the Atlanta Braves in 2018. He pitched at least 60 innings, was an All-Star in 2016 and only had one year with an ERA above 3.50.

Just based on his pedigree, he might have needed a change of scenery to reclaim his past success. At worst, Brach deepens the Mets bullpen as a useful seventh man and if he reaches his potential he will pitch key innings down the stretch. Teams not too long ago were fighting to acquire Brach. If he turns his season around, along with Edwin Diaz, the Mets all of a sudden have one of the best bullpens in baseball.

Brandon Nimmo To The 60-Day IL

Donnie Hart was optioned to Triple-A after only one scoreless inning with the Mets. Brandon Nimmo was sent to the 60-day IL to open up a roster spot for Brach. Nimmo has been out since May 20th with a neck injury and has not performed in any baseball activities since June 18th. He had a breakout 2018 season and had high expectations this year, but has become an after thought now.

The Mets hope Nimmo can resume baseball activities soon, but neck injuries are right below concussions in terms of how careful it has to be handled. The Mets miss from Nimmo’s defense as a true outfielder, compared to J.D. Davis and Dom Smith. They have replaced his hitting, but adding him back to the roster along with Smith deepens what is currently an anemic bench.

New York Mets: Donnie Hart Claimed Off Waivers

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On Saturday, I put up an article about the New York Mets searching for their final arm to complete their bullpen. They heard my prayers as they claimed left handed reliever Donnie Hart from the Milwaukee Brewers the same day, who could be the final arm they have been searching for.

Originally Hart was sent to triple-A and the Mets called up Jacob Rhame. Hart was recalled to the big leagues Sunday after Rhame was sent to the 10-day IL with right elbow discomfort.

Hart started his career with the Baltimore Orioles, but bounced back and forth between triple-A and the MLB. Over his three years as an Oriole he had a 3.43 ERA in 81.1 innings. He only pitched 6.2 innings with the Brewers this season, but he did not allow a run.

What Does The Mets Bullpen Look Like Now?

Hart will join Luis Avilan and Justin Wilson as the three lefties in the Mets bullpen. He will likely get some low pressure situations since Wilson and Avilan have been solid in the second half.

Hopefully Hart patches a hole the Mets have been struggling to fix all year. It is a positive that he is another lefty, which gives Mickey Callaway more flexibility with his bullpen. The Mets have a big week coming up and need all hands on deck to come out over .500 and put themselves in a wild card spot.