According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets GM is not thrilled with his internal candidates for the the 2012 closer role and when asked specifically if he envisioned the next Mets closer coming from within the organization he said, “I’m not convinced of that. Nor can I believe anybody else is convinced of that.”
Not exactly a big vote of confidence for Bobby Parnell or Pedro Beato.
Alderson said strengthening the bullpen as a whole will be an emphasis this winter — Mets relievers have a 4.22 ERA, which ranks last in the National League.
Puma believes if Alderson had money to spend he probably would consider looking at potential free agents like Heath Bell or Jonathan Papelbon. That not being the case, it leaves only two other options…
1. Covert a starter like Mike Pelfrey into a closer which Alderson hasn’t completely ruled out.
2. Sign about 6-8 relievers on the cheap, and then all hands on deck for the Spring Training edition of “Who Will Be The Next Mets Closer?”
It may even end up being that nobody becomes the official Mets closer and instead Terry Collins will play the hot hand in a closer by committee situation which is sort of what the Mets have been doing since they traded K-Rod in July.
Hopefully next season, their closer by committee can perform with a lot less disastrous results than this season.
