Following a 2017 season in which their relief pitchers combined to rank dead last in the National League with a 4.82 ERA, the Mets sought to upgrade the back end of their bullpen heading into 2018. They eventually found their lone bullpen upgrade in right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak, who they signed to a two-year, $14 million contract during the Winter Meetings in the middle of December.
The Mets signed Swarzak following easily the best season of his career. After spending most of the 2015 season playing for the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization, and most of the 2016 season either in Triple-A or pitching to a 5.