It’s hard to believe that just two days ago, even Terry Collins was unsure who would get the regular season call to face opposing lefty sluggers in the late innings. With Josh Edgin out for the season with a torn UCL and no proven options in camp, the Mets bullpen, an expected strength to begin the season, was in dire straits.
Enter new acquisitions Alex Torres and Jerry Blevins, two left handed relief pitchers with successful career track records, and the problem is solved. Right?
Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. Either Rafael Montero or Dillon Gee is slated to open the season in the bullpen, joining Carlos Torres, Jeurys Familia, and Jenrry Mejia. That leaves three open spots in the bullpen as it stands today, with. Blevins and Torres assured of grabbing two of those spots.
The question now is whether we’re going to carry three lefties and if the Mets like Sean Gilmartin enough to give him that final slot, otherwise he goes back to the Minnesota Twins. Both Collins and Alderson have strongly hinted that keeping the Rule 5 pick is exactly what they will do.
With three lefties in tow, the Opening Day bullpen would now look something like this:
Lefty Specialist: Jerry Blevins, Sean Gilmartin
Middle Relief: Carlos Torres, Alex Torres
Setup (7th): Rafael Montero or Dillon Gee (TBD)
Setup (8th): Jeurys Familia
Closer: Jenrry Mejia
This bullpen projection omits Bobby Parnell and Vic Black, both of whom are expected to be back around mid-April. It’s also worth noting that Parnell and Black have both controlled lefties exceptionally well in their careers, holding them to .251/.343/.696 and .208/.344/.665 slash lines respectively. Their success against lefties could make carrying three left handed relievers unnecessary.
Perhaps more feasibly, an overcrowded bullpen clears the way for the long-anticipated Dillon Gee trade. Consistent with the Mets’ preference for youth would favor Montero’s upside over Gee’s track record. If Gee is traded, Montero slots into the 5th starter role (at least until Syndergaard and Matz are ready, yet another looming dilemma), and one of Black or Parnell becomes the 7th inning guy.
To fully resolve the bullpen dilemma, the Mets could carry an 8th reliever, a practice notoriously employed by the 2014 AL Champion Royals, who’s bullpen combined for a 3.30 ERA and a .235 opposing batting average, not to mention a lights out postseason performance.
If the Mets decide to carry an 8th reliever, which is not such a bad idea considering frequent arm injuries, that would force somebody off the five man bench. Ruben Tejada (backup infielder), John Mayberry (lefty killer), Eric Campbell (super utility), Anthony Recker (defensive catcher), and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (out of options) have all played their hearts out this spring, and all provide tangible value to the team. However, one of them would be the odd man out to accommodate an eighth reliever.
It’s clearly going to require some creativity and maybe even a little bit of heartlessness on the part of the Mets brass to contain Bobby Parnell and Vic Black in a crowded bullpen with three lefty relievers. However, it’s worth mentioning that an overcrowded bullpen is a great problem to have, and regardless of how the relief corps shakes out, it will be chock full of talented arms that could take the Mets to the next level.
