The New York Mets are looking for more left-handed depth in their bullpen, and they turned to fan-favorite Jerry Blevins. The 37-year old veteran has not pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
According to sources, I have signed back with the Mets. It is true! My family and I are looking forward to being back with our Mets family. I'll be doing an interview on @SNYtv at some point to talk more about it. But I can't exaggerate about how grateful I am to be a Met again.
— Jerry Blevins (@jerryblevins) December 12, 2020
Blevins spent 2020 with the San Francisco Giants but never got the opportunity to join the big league roster. It was surprising after Blevins had a successful 2019 where he had a 3.95 ERA in a bounce-back season. Outside of the rough season in 2018, Blevins has been one of the most consistent left-handed relievers of the last decade.
Blevins was a key part of the bullpen in 2016 and 2017, where he combined for a 2.87 ERA in 148 games. His looping curveball is still a tremendous out pitch, which allows him to survive with a sinker that sits in the high 80s.
Does He Have a Chance?
Daniel Zamora is the only other left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster, excluding Steven Matz. The three batter minimum rule is something for Blevins to adjust to, but there are no worries there. Blevins dominates the lefties but still retires the righties at a good clip. His veteran presence puts him in a position where a good spring training lands him a roster spot on opening day. The addition of Blevins is another example of a low risk, high reward move the Mets have completed this offseason.