The New York Mets biggest issue in 2019 was their inconsistent bullpen, the one they thought they had rebuilt last offseason. The leaky pen cost them a chance at the postseason and this winter, it is widely predicted they would make that their priority.
Think again. Instead of acquiring bullpen help, they went and backfilled their starting rotation with two reclamation projects (Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha) and are now talking about in-house solutions in the pen.
The starting rotation may have lost Zack Wheeler to free agency but still has a solid core four in Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz. They are banking that one of the two new additions will hit and become their fifth starter. That means the Mets won’t have to promote Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman from the bullpen, which obviously makes it sturdier.
They re-signed Brad Brach this week as well to add to the mix of Lugo, Gsellman, Justin Wilson, Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia and either Wacha or Porcello.
“We can bolster our bullpen by having Lugo and Gsellman now go back to the bullpen along with Brach if that’s how it shakes out in spring training,†Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said. “It’s a good position to be in, and we will sort of adjust on the fly in terms of what other opportunities come in.â€
The Mets may still make a trade for a reliever. They have some spare parts on their roster at other positions in J.D. Davis, Jed Lowrie and Dominic Smith that teams could find interest in. There are also several free agents such as Houston’s Will Harris or the Yankees’ Dellin Betances but Van Wagenen, who has little salary flexibility may not want to go in that direction.
If you go by the rule of thumb where relievers have on alternating solid seasons, then Diaz and Familia are due bounceback seasons .