The New York Mets, ever in search of that elusive bullpen solidity, recently made a move that, while seemingly minor on the surface, speaks volumes about their ongoing struggles to cultivate reliable relief arms. The decision to designate right-handed pitcher Tyler Zuber for assignment, only for him to be immediately scooped up by division rival Miami Marlins, it’s a reminder of how volatile and difficult it is to establish effective options in MLB teams’ bullpens, especially when potential isn’t met.

For Zuber, a journeyman reliever who arrived in Flushing last year’s trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays for Paul Gervase, his brief tenure with the Mets was, to put it kindly, not great. One solitary big-league appearance, yielding two earned runs in as many innings, hardly paints a picture of a breakthrough. Yet, it’s in the minor league numbers where the true frustration lies for a player like Zuber and, by extension, the Mets.

Another one slips away? The Mets’ persistent bullpen puzzle

Tyler Zuber’s journey through professional baseball has been a testament to both intriguing raw talent and persistent command issues. Drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Royals in 2017, he saw significant big-league action in 2020-21 before bouncing around to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, and Rays. His appeal has always been his ability to miss bats, evidenced by solid strikeout rates and impressive swinging-strike percentages throughout his career. However, his Achilles heel has consistently been his control, with walk rates stubbornly remaining in worrying territory, particularly in the upper minor leagues.

In Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, Zuber’s 2024 campaign was a microcosm of this frustrating dichotomy. In 28 innings, he surrendered 20 runs (19 earned) on 32 hits, all while striking out 27 but issuing an alarming 15 walks. These are not the numbers of a pitcher knocking on the door of sustained big-league success, no matter how much his arm might tantalize with flashes of brilliance.

Now, with the Miami Marlins, Zuber has a fresh start, albeit with a team that operates within the same highly competitive NL East. The Marlins, recognizing Zuber’s underlying strikeout potential and the added dimension of a recently introduced changeup to his repertoire, are taking their chances. For Zuber, it’s a chance to prove his command woes can finally be tamed, perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needs to unlock that elusive consistency.

What makes this particular waiver claim even more intriguing, and perhaps a touch ironic, is the player the Marlins designated for assignment to make room for Zuber, Nick Nastrini. Nastrini, once a highly-touted top-15 prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, has also battled severe command issues, a persistent weakness cited in scouting reports. In a sense, the Marlins are trading one command-challenged arm for another, but the pedigree of Nastrini as a near-top prospect offers a potentially interesting target for other teams, including, perhaps, the very Mets who just let Zuber go.