2017 Mets Season Review: Neil Ramirez struggled in his Mets tenure

Veteran right-handed relief pitcher Neil Ramirez came to the Mets this season looking to rebound after a rough couple of years since his breakout 2014 season with the Cubs. His third organization of the year, the Mets, were looking to add some stability for their beleaguered bullpen, which was suffering injuries to key players like Jeurys Familia.

Unfortunately, for both sides, you can’t always get what you want.

Ramirez began the year with the Giants, appearing in nine games before being selected off waivers by the Blue Jays. He never appeared in a game for the Blue Jays, and was granted his release just ten days after arriving. After signing as a free agent in mid-May, Ramirez appeared in 20 games for the Mets and, while he still missed bats at a decent clip, got hit quite hard and had control issues. Ramirez walked 17 batters over 21 innings, giving up four home runs, and putting up a 6.43 ERA. His 26 strikeouts were reasonably impressive, but coupled with the control, it did not make for the bounce back season.

In what seems emblematic of his season, the Mets lost 17 of the 20 games that Ramirez appeared in, although only two of those—a blown save on May 24 and taking the loss on June 27—could reasonably be blamed on Ramirez. He was designated for assignment on July 20, and he elected free agency on July 24.

After leaving the Mets, Ramirez signed with the Washington Nationals—his eighth organization overall and fourth this season—but never appeared in a major league game for them this season. He pitched in 14 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, giving up 23 hits and 20 strikeouts over 23 innings pitched.