Jon Heyman was a guest of Lori Rubinson on WFAN on Sunday night, and when asked what he felt the Mets would do before now and the trade deadline, he said he expects them to add a solid setup reliever like Tyler Clippard or other quality relievers that are out there and available.
He likes the additions of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, but he thinks it’s not enough to confidentiality say the Mets are a lock for the postseason.
“They are a better offensive team,” said Heyman. “Johnson is a good utility man and Uribe is still a solid all around player even in his late thirties.”
“But I think they really need to do more. They really need another bat, and I think Sandy Alderson knows that.”
Earlier on Sunday, sources told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mets may be shifting their focus away from acquiring another bat and towards acquiring a late-inning bullpen arm.
He says that while the Mets may not be completely out of the market for offensive upgrades, “their main quest now is finding another reliable arm to get the ball to Jeurys Familia.”
Familia blew his second straight save since the All-Star break on Sunday and allowed two runs in an appearance for the first time since September 15, 2014.
“Hey look, he’s not making the pitches he made earlier,” manager Terry Collins said. “It’s understandable. He’s been out there four times in 10 days. But we’ve got to keep him out there and keep him in the groove as best we can.”
wasting Jacob deGrom’s brilliant performance Sunday by allowing two ninth-inning runs. Fortunately for Familia, the Mets rallied for a 3-2 10-inning win on Juan Uribe’s game-winning single. In fact, the Mets have found a way to bail out Familia after each of his four blown saves.
As far as Clippard goes, the 30 year old right-hander is drawing interest from a few teams besides the Mets including the Washington Nationals.
Clippard has been among the top relievers in the game for the past five seasons, and this year the A’s closer has racked up 17 saves with a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
One stumbling block for the Mets is his price tag, as Clippard has about $4 million dollars remaining on contract for this season.
