Mets acquire Brooks Pounders from Indians, option Tim Peterson to Triple-A, call up Chris Flexen

The Mets have acquired right-handed pitcher Brooks Pounders from the Indians, and they’ve optioned fellow right-handed pitcher Tim Peterson back to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Pounders on the active roster tonight. The team has also officially called up Chris Flexen from Triple-A Syracuse with plans of using him out of the bullpen.

The reshuffling of the bullpen emphasizes yet again that the Mets started the 2019 season without pitching depth in either the starting rotation or the bullpen. Thus far in his major league career, the 28-year-old Pounders has an 8.92 ERA and 6.39 FIP in 38.1 innings of work with 9.86 strikeouts, 2.35 walks, and 3.05 home runs allowed per nine. He’s spent time in the majors with the Royals, Angels, and Rockies, and he had spent all of this season playing for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate. In 35.0 innings there, he had a 2.31 ERA and 3.67 FIP.

As for Peterson, he has a 4.91 ERA and 7.38 FIP in just 7.1 innings with the Mets this year. He’s gone back and forth between the big leagues and Syracuse several times now. Flexen has an 11.12 ERA and 7.04 FIP in 5.2 innings in the big leagues this year. He has a handful of relief pitching appearances in his professional career, nine of which have come at the major league level.

Entering play today, the Mets’ bullpen had a 5.31 ERA, the fifth-worst mark in all of baseball. With Edwin Diaz not quite dominating like he did last year and Jeurys Familia struggling mightily, the lack of bullpen depth has been even more glaring. Among relief pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched for the Mets this year, Seth Lugo is the only pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA.