The New York Mets reportedly still have interest in relievers Antonio Bastardo and Tyler Clippard, but only if they are willing to accept a one-year deal which appears to be very unlikely. On Thursday, GM Sandy Alderson clarified his approach and how he views the current relief market.
“Does it really improve the team to give a reliever a one or two year contract if we don’t believe he is better than what we have?” Alderson said.
If that sounded like the Mets might forego adding another reliever and instead head into the new season with the bullpen options they already have, a new report by Mike Puma of the New York Post pretty much substantiates that.
Puma is hearing that the Mets currently have no real target right now for the bullpen, and that at this point they are weighing whether what they already have equals what’s available.
Assuming this is true – and it’s still too early to make any declarative statements – the Mets essentially go into the 2016 season with the same bullpen they ended the World Series with minus Tyler Clippard.
During that five game series against the Royals, the Mets bullpen allowed 10 earned runs in 21.1 innings and blew all three save opportunities, leading to a disappointing World Series loss.
As currently constructed, the Mets will have Addison Reed in the setup role and Jeurys Familia reprising his role as the closer. Familia was dominating as the Mets closer last season and might be the only sure thing they have in the bullpen.
The Mets are gambling $6.5 million dollars that Reed will be the reliever that posted a 1.17 ERA in 15.1 innings for them last season and not the guy who had the 4.20 ERA in 40.2 innings with the D’Backs.
After that, the Mets will have Jerry Blevins in the lefty specialist role, Hansel Robles perhaps as the 7th inning guy, and Carlos Torres returns as the long reliever.
For the final two spots in the bullpen, take your pick out of Erik Goeddel, Sean Gilmartin, Logan Verrett, Buddy Carlyle, Jim Henderson, Josh Smoker, Rafael Montero, Josh Edgin and Dario Alvarez.
The Mets would prefer to have Verrett and Montero start the season in the Triple-A rotation for Las Vegas as insurance and depth for the rotation. But whether that happens will depend on on how things go for the bullpen during Spring Training.
I would love to see the Mets make a strong push for right-handed reliever Matt Albers who won’t cost as much as Bastardo and Clippard and has been very effective and consistent since 2012 when he’s not on the DL,
Albers, 32, went 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 30 appearances for the Chicago White Sox in 2015. He missed three months of the season with a broken pinkie on his right hand, however, he did not allow an earned run after July 31 – his last 22 1/3 innings, 20 appearances.
But here’s my question for all of you. If we do fail to add a late inning reliever between now and Opening Day, are you confident going into next season with the same cast of relievers we had last season?
(Updated 1/11)
