And they're now expected to former San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik once he hits free agency on Friday afternoon:

Obviously Brach and Panik have warts -- they were released by competitive teams for a reason -- but the Mets have few other means to adding talent.

Their lack of organizational depth is a well-known flaw, and the single trade deadline means there are few external routes to adding talent the rest of the way.

To Brach's credit, he did miss bats with his mid-90s fastball and splitter combination, and his strike and zone rates remain reasonably close to last year's figures -- when he walked four per nine.

Realistically, the Mets aren't hoping for a return to old form so much as him being good enough to edge out the worst reliever on their roster.

As easy as it is to mock the Mets for snatching up other contenders' rejects, what they're doing makes a lot of sense -- even if it proves to not be enough for them to reach the postseason.