The New York Mets have had a rollercoaster of a 2024 campaign, but regardless of the blue and orange’s record, president of baseball operations David Stearns has allowed no free passes on the roster.
Now, as a trio of Mets relievers are getting ready to return from the injured list, a veteran reliever sees the potential writing on the wall and says the organization would be foolish to release him.
Adam Ottavino feels he belongs in the Mets’ bullpen
“I think it would be foolish to let me go. It occurred to me that it could happen, but you can’t control it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still throwing the ball the way I want to for the most part, so I just have to try to live with the results,” Adam Ottavino said before the Mets 5-3 win on Wednesday. “I knew it would happen at some point,” he said. “It’s not easy to hold that job forever, you’re going to struggle at some point. It was my turn to struggle for a bit, and now I’m just looking to contribute wherever I can.”
Ottavino has been a fixture in the Mets bullpen since signing as a free agent before the 2022 campaign but had a rocky start in 2024 that culminated in a dreadful May. During the year’s fifth month, the 38-year-old pitched to a 9.28 ERA and 2.15 WHIP across 12 appearances.
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The New York native has turned things around since, not allowing a run during his last six appearances and eight out of his previous nine outings. Although, it is worth noting that the 38-year-old’s recent run of success correlates to a move out of a high-leverage role.
Overall, Ottavino has pitched 41.1 innings across 44 appearances to a 4.35 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP while striking out 54 and recording one save.
Time will tell what the organization will decide to do. Still, with more high-quality relievers on the way, combined with the recent trade acquisitions, Ottavino’s time with the blue and orange may be concluding regardless of his thoughts.
