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According to our own Michael Mayer, the Mets would love to bring back right-handed free agent reliever Adam Ottavino, but also realize that he will cost significantly more than he did the last offseason.
Ottavino, who will turn 37 this coming Tuesday, Nov. 22, signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Mets earlier this year. In 65 2/3 innings, Ottavino posted a 2.06 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings, in which he went 6-3. He also had 2.3 WAR and 0.975 WHIP.
A New York native, Ottavino cemented himself as the Mets’ go-to eighth-inning pitcher and a worthy set-up man to Edwin Díaz in 2022. The Mets successfully replaced Jeurys Familia by taking a flier on Ottavino, who had previously posted ERAs of 5.89 and 4.21 in 2020 and 2021 with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, respectively.
His bounce-back season was much more in line with 2019, in which he went 6-5 and had a 1.90 ERA in 66 1/3 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts. Ottavino lasted two seasons with the Yankees but spent his formative playing days in Colorado with the Rockies for seven years (2012-18).
The Mets bullpen is lacking quality arms and depth despite their re-signing Díaz before he was able to hit the open market. Relievers Seth Lugo, Mychal Givens, Joely Rodriguez, Trevor May, and Tommy Hunter, and bulk-inning pitcher Trevor Williams are all free agents in addition to Ottavino.
The Mets have attempted to add depth on the waiver wire with claims of lefty Tayler Saucedo and fireballer Stephen Ridings.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman also reports that the Mets want Ottavino back and that the interest between the two parties is presumably mutual.
