A frustrated Terry Collins said after Thursday’s game that the Mets could enter the season without a left-hander in the bullpen according to reporters and just go with seven right-handers.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed. Here’s a chance. You come to the major league spring training and all you want is a chance. Now, with our guy down, if I’m left-handed I’m looking in the mirror and deciding what do I need to do to get that job, because it’s out there.”
No sooner did he say that when Sandy Alderson said he can’t foresee the Mets starting the season without a lefty in the bullpen. (Jared Diamond).
You can’t blame Collins for being irate after watching his two best options Scott Rice and Dario Alvarez get pasted for five runs each on consecutive days.
The Mets manager added that he is very disappointed overall in his left-handed candidates for the bullpen. He went onto say that this now opens the door for RHP Rafael Montero as well as lefties Darin Gorski and Duane Below who aren’t even in camp.
This comes two days after owner Fred Wilpon told Collins he was not happy with what he’s seeing from the left-handed relievers in a closed door meeting. Yes, that really happened.
As I said Tuesday, this issue isn’t going away, at least not until a satisfactory solution presents itself.
Update from Sandy Alderson:
Marc Carig posted the following from Sandy moments ago:
“Through the offseason, and as we got closer to spring training, there just wasn’t anybody in whom we were prepared to invest a major league contract.”
“Again it’s not the financial issue, it’s the commitment to the player. So if we have eveverybody sort of categorized the same way, we’d like them all to compete.”
“We weren’t prepared to give anybody the advantage of a major league contract. Because under those circumstances it’s the antithesis of competition. I’m not happy about where we are lefthanded situation.”
“We do have two or three other lefties in minor-league camp,” Alderson said. “But, in terms of now, beginning the season, I think that’s unrealistic. It’s conceivable that a month or two months in there’s somebody we might want to give a look. But right now I don’t think that’s possible.”
