Expect the Philadelphia Phillies to add these relievers to the bullpen
By Tim Boyle
Jeurys Familia was a longtime closer for the Mets and halfway decent reliever since
The best days of Jeurys Familia saving games for the Mets is well in the past. His prime years in 2015 and 2016 are a distant memory.
Somehow, Familia only managed to even stumble into a single save once over the last three seasons with the Mets after returning to them in free agency after the 2018 campaign. Those three recent years were a mix of downright terrible, okay, and promising.
Most recently, Familia had a 9-4 record out of the bullpen with the 2021 Mets team. He also posted a 3.94 ERA in 59.1 innings of work. Home runs absolutely obliterated him for the first time in his career. He gave up 10 which is incredibly odd considering he has only surrendered 35 total in his 498.2 big league innings.
For the Phillies, Familia may remind you a lot of Hector Neris. There are similarities. Each had a tendency to look like one of the best closers in the game one day and a horrific reliever the next. He was unsteady for New York these past three seasons and certainly not a great option for any team to rely on for closing duties.
One good thing to say about Familia: maybe he is willing to sign a one-year deal for cheap. On a very affordable contract that could allow the Phillies to bolster the team in other ways, he might be worth the risk.