Latest Update
Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Radio is reporting that as many as a dozen teams have checked in with former Marlins closer Steve Cishek.
Cishek, 29, has been getting a lot of attention and generating a lot of buzz since he was non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals last week.
The New York Mets are reportedly one of the teams that have expressed interest. This is a player I’d love to see the Mets get.
December 5
The Mets “will cast a wide net” in searching for relief help, according to Marc Carig of Newsday, and one option they are now focusing on is former Marlin closer Steve Cishek.
Cishek, 29, was non-tendered by the Cardinals on Wednesday as he was due to earn close to $7 million dollars in arbitration – an amount that was driven by his dominant years as a closer in 2012 to 2014. During that span, he saved 88 games, pitching 198.2 innings and striking out 226 with a 2.72 ERA.
We recommended Cishek as a potential target for the Mets after he was non-tendered. He had a down year in 2015 and lost his closer role to A.J. Ramos before the Marlins traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals, but he finished the season very strong.
Cishek posted a 2.31 ERA in 27 appearances for the Cards with one save, salvaging his season somewhat and finishing with a 3.58 ERA.
He could be a solid buy-low candidate for the Mets with a good chance to return to his previous form. He’d give our bullpen three relievers along with Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia that are experienced closers.
