Winter Meetings: Bullpen Much Improved, But Mets Looking For Late-Inning Reliever

It’s not even Christmas, but it’s not too early to start looking at the bullpen for 2014. The 40 man roster currently has eight relievers. There are 6 or 7 open spots come Opening Day.

Sandy Alderson is said to be looking for at least one late-inning reliever. Anthony DiComo of Mets.com reported that the Mets are satisfied with their young core of Bobby Parnell, Vic Black, Jeurys Familia and Gonzalez Germen, and that Alderson does not plan to completely overhaul the bullpen for a third straight winter.

They do, however, hope to add a veteran arm into the mix, ideally to replace the quality innings that LaTroy Hawkins gave them in 2013. The list of candidates is long, and it would not be surprising to see the Mets wait until January to fill this need.

The Mets could add a reliever via a trade or free agency depending on how soft or robust he finds the market when he arrives in Orlando for the Winter Meetings later today.

Lets examine the relievers we have on the 40 currently…

Vic Black RHP – The former 49th overall pick from the 2009 draft that was acquired from the Pirates in that trade for Marlon Byrd and John Buck has the Mets brass excited. Vic had a 3-0 record with a 3.71 ERA and one save in 18 games with the Pirates and Mets. He struck out 63 in 46 2/3 innings in AAA for the Indianapolis Indians prior to the trade.
Josh Edgin LHP – The first of the 2010 Mets draft class to make it to the majors. He appeared in 34 games out of the pen for the Mets in 2013 and another 16 games in the minors. He threw a combined 47 1/3 innings in 2013, but ended the season on the DL with a fractured rib. He’s expected to ready for Spring Training.
Jeurys Familia RHP – The young righthander spent most of 2013 on the disabled list, pitching in 9 games for the Mets and an additional 8 games in the minors for a combined 19 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts and 12 walks. Familia is 100% and just completed a stint in the Arizona Fall League.
Gonzalez Germen RHP – Germen turned many heads after his callup last season and the Mets expect big things from him. He split 2013 between AAA Las Vegas and New York, appearing in a combined 64 games with 78 1/3 innings.
Bobby Parnell RHP – Neck surgery ended his 2013 season early, but before he went down Parnell was having his best season as a pro, The 29-year old righthander pitched in 49 games, going 5-5 with an ERA of 2.16, a WHIP of 1.00, and totaling 22 saves. He struck out 44 in 50 innings.
Scott Rice LHP – The late-blooming rookie proved to be consistently good and very durable before undergoing a season ending sports hernia surgery in September. The crafty southpaw pitched in 73 games out of the pen and in 55.1 innings posted a 3.71 ERA and allowing just one home run all season. He held lefthanded batters to a .171 batting average.
Carlos Torres RHP – The swingman 30-year old veteran had a career year for the Mets, making 33 appearances in 2013 including nine emergency starts. In a combined 45 games at MLB/AAA (21 starts), he threw 158 innings, but notched an impressive 3.44 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in the majors.
Jeff Walters RHP – An MMO favorite, Walters has yet to appear in a Major League game, but he had an excellent 2013 campaign as Binghamton’s closer. He pitched in a record 53 games with a league-leading 38 saves to go with a 4-3 record, an ERA of 2.09 and WHIP of 1.11, and a dominating 60 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. Big things are expected from the 2010 7th rounder.