Josh Smoker was a quite emblematic member of the incredibly frustrating, highly disappointing unit that was the 2017 Mets bullpen. Though Smoker still displays the elite fastball velocity that helped make him a Number 1 draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2007, and his flexibility (seven appearances of 2+ innings pitched) plus his handedness would seem to lend themselves to an appealing asset, the soon-to-be 29-year-old remained maddeningly inconsistent and quite unreliable in the 2017 campaign.
Smoker continued to rack up strikeouts in 2017—68 in 56.1 innings, to the tune of a 10.