How Do the New York Mets Remedy Their Banged Up Bullpen?
This winter, the Mets were tasked with giving their bullpen a face lift, and responded by bringing back their big guns in Edwin Díaz and Adam Ottavino.
The team also signed veteran David Robertson and traded for southpaw Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays.
With the heavy lifting done, the team acquired some lottery ticket guys via the trade market, waiver wire and on minor league deals to pair with their returning young arms to try and round out the rest of the relief corps.
Since Spring Training began, several of those arms have already dealt with injury including Raley (hamstring strain), rookie Bryce Montes de Oca (stress reaction in right elbow) and Sam Coonrod (high grade lat strain).
Raley appears to be on track for Opening Day, and it seemed as though the Mets could weather the storm the rest of the way - until Wednesday evening.
In Puerto Rico’s match over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Díaz came out to his signature “Narco” entrance from the bullpen and closed out the game and a 5-2 victory.
During celebrations on the field, Díaz suffered an alarming leg injury and couldn’t leave the field on his own power. His teammates watched and cried as a pain-ridden Díaz was helped off the diamond.
Diaz’s health is the main concern, of course, but it would be remiss to say that his services won’t be heavily missed in the Mets bullpen, especially if he misses significant time.
With the injuries piling up, what do the Mets do from here?
Let’s first look at some in-house options that are likely to get a closer look now that the Mets have a greater need for healthy arms.
A few guys to keep an eye on from the 40-man roster are John Curtiss, who is healthy after missing all of 2022 with Tommy John surgery, Jeff Brigham, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins this past winter and the incumbent Stephen Nogosek.
Curtiss is likely a lock, as he’s flashed some solid velocity on his fastball and has a 1.80 ERA in five appearances. Brigham has also been fine with a 3.60 ERA and five punch outs in five innings.
Nogosek will likely serve in a similar capacity to 2022 where he was shuttled between Triple-A Syracuse and the bigs often, though there’s a chance he could start the year with the big club after the slew of injuries.
Beyond that, a few non-roster invitees that are worth keeping an eye on are Tommy Hunter, who signed with the Mets on a minor league deal this winter, Jimmy Yacabonis who did the same, and minor leaguer Grant Hartwig.
Hunter has had five scoreless innings so far this spring and comes as a familiar face, as he’s spent parts of the last two seasons in Queens. Yacabonis has also looked good, with five scoreless frames, six strikeouts and a snazzy sinker.
As for Hartwig, he was re-assigned to minor league camp but is sure to be up at some point this season and is certainly a player to keep tabs on.
What’s out there beyond what the Mets currently have in house?
Left-handed pitcher Zack Britton, who has been linked to the Mets within the last couple months, is expected to throw a simulated game on Thursday in front of teams at the University of California-Irvine. The Mets are slated to be in attendance.
Britton, now 35-years-old, was a high leverage reliever in his heyday, but pitched in all of three games for the New York Yankees this past year. If he’s got anything left in the tank, it would be worth it for the Mets to take a flyer, especially if Díaz is out for an extended amount of time.
However, it will likely take some time for him to ramp up if he signs, so he can’t be seen as an immediate option.
As Mike Puma of the New York Post mentions, another former high leverage pitcher still available is Corey Knebel who was replacement level in 2022, according to Fangraphs, who gave him 0.0 fWAR.
The Mets could also choose to explore the trade market, but at this point, they would likely be paying a premium, especially if they are looking for a Díaz replacement if he’s out for a substantial amount of time.
The team’s best bet to stop the bleeding at the moment might be to assess what they have in-house, explore Britton and Knebel, and fill the holes for the time being.
If they do explore the trade market in the short term, it might be best to make some moves akin to what they did in 2015 when they acquired relievers Jerry Blevins and Alex Torres at the end of Spring Training. Get a couple intriguing arms and hope something sticks for now.
Pitching is volatile as the Mets are seeing during the very early parts of a long season. The best course of action is to trust key guys like Ottavino and Robertson to anchor the bullpen if Díaz is seriously hurt, and hope the middle of the bullpen, which has some interesting options, produces success. Then they can see where they are at as time moves on.
Read More:
- Mets' Jose Quintana to Undergo Surgery, Out Until at Least July
- Tylor Megill Putting Together Strong Spring For Mets
- 'Strong Possibility' That Mets' Brooks Raley Will be Ready for Opening Day
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