The Mets liked Dedniel Núñez, but not enough to protect him on their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.
In swooped the Giants, who selected Núñez in the Rule 5 draft. Nunez was a 24-year-old who had boosted his fastball in instructional camp that year, when the minor league season was canceled because of the pandemic.
After the Giants obtained him, Núñez underwent Tommy John surgery during spring training in 2021. Núñez eventually fell into poor workout habits and gained significant weight — one Mets official estimated it to be about 50 pounds. Before Núñez even threw a pitch for the Giants, the right-hander was returned to the Mets.
And now? Núñez has become not only a dependable Mets reliever, he’s bringing the kind of electricity that largely has been lacking from the bullpen with Edwin Diaz struggling to regain his all-world form before a recent stint on the injured list.
