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The 2023 MLB regular season was an unmitigated disaster for the New York Mets. Led by spendthrift billionaire team owner Steve Cohen and since-outcasted general manager Billy Eppler, the Mets spent an MLB-record estimated $354 million on payroll. Despite being top-heavy with star veteran players Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and standout rookie catcher Francisco Álvarez, the Mets lacked depth, lending to a catastrophic 75-87 fourth-place finish. The begrudged Mets cycled through many pitchers last season, though few made as many appearances as Jeff Brigham.
Brigham, 32, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 4th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The University of Washington product spent a season and a half in Los Angeles's minor-league system before being traded to the Miami Marlins alongside Kevin Guzman and Victor Araujo for starting pitcher Mat Latos and right-handed power bat Michael Morse. Brigham made his MLB debut with Miami in 2018 as a starter, generating a 6.06 ERA, 6.04 FIP, and -0.2 Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR) over 16 ⅓ innings pitched and 77 batters faced. Miami quickly converted the then-26-year-old into a reliever, and he has stayed in the bullpen since.
Brigham went on to manufacture a 4.52 ERA, 4.82 FIP, 11.6% HR/FB rate, and 79-to-37 K/BB over 79 ⅔ innings pitched and 344 batters faced as a reliever for the Marlins from 2019 to 2022. On November 18th, 2022, Brigham was shipped to the Mets alongside Elieser Hernandez for pitching prospect Franklin Sánchez and a player to be named later or cash. The veteran right-handed hurler spent the beginning of last season at Triple-A Syracuse before getting called up on April 18th. Despite spending the year between Syracuse and the parent club, Brigham threw the fifth-most innings for a Mets reliever, finishing the season with 37 innings pitched.In those 37 frames, he generated a 5.26 ERA, 5.96 FIP, 19.6% HR/FB rate, and 42-to-18 K/BB while facing 160 batters. Unfortunately, Brigham's tenure with the Mets lasted only one season, as the team elected to non-tender him last November. Brigham spent the offseason shuffling through minor-league options before signing with the Twins in mid-February. The Twins' front office prioritized bringing in bullpen depth, evidenced by President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey and company signing, claiming, or trading for 16 relievers this offseason. However, Brigham's road to Minnesota is unique compared to most.
In a piece written by the Star Tribune's Phil Miller, Brigham communicated that he chose the Twins despite having minor-league contract offers from other organizations due to his connection to former teammate Pablo López and a fondness for the organization's front office and player development staff, which showed him a blueprint on how they could save his dwindling career. The focus now is on improving his cutter as a secondary pitch to his four-seam fastball and helping him become a better pitch sequencer. Vice President of Baseball Operations Strategy and Innovations Josh Kalk, pitching coach Pete Maki, and the organization's coaching staff are guiding Brigham toward becoming a priority bullpen depth piece for the parent club early this upcoming season.
Below is Brigham's pitch mix from 2023 with usage percentages:
- Sweeper (42.2%)
- Four-seam fastball (39.1%)
- Cutter (18.7%)
Brigham is the epitome of a two-pitch pitcher, throwing his sweeper and four-seam fastball a combined 81.3% of the time last season. The Twins seek out pitchers who throw four-seam fastballs, with their main secondary pitch being some iteration of a sweeper or slider, explaining their interest in attaining Brigham's services in camp. The organization's coaching and player development staff has emphasized developing and refining pitchers' third and fourth pitches in their mix, thus explaining their desire to tinker with Brigham's cutter.
Although the veteran right-handed hurler's fastball sits at 93.5 MPH (40th percentile outcome at Baseball Savant), he has a functional glove-side sweeper that's effective against same-handed hitters. Brigham and the Twins coaching staff are working to refine his cutter to make it effectively break in on left-handed hitters. The veteran reliever could be the team's next successful reclamation project if the two parties rectify his cutter while fortifying his already effective four-seam fastball and sweeper.
Brigham has consistently strung together lackluster seasons in his cyclical career. Still, through electing to integrate himself into a pitching development program that has maximized past minor-league signings in Caleb Thielbar and Brock Stewart, there is reason to suspect he could become an idealized version of himself as a reliever. In three appearances this spring, Brigham has faced 13 batters, giving up one hit, walking two, and striking out one over three innings pitched. Brigham has performed well in a small sample size this spring, and if he can continue to build upon his first three outings, he could earn a spot in the team's bullpen mix in 2024.
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