The final piece that could be added to complete the bullpen overhaul put together by the New York Mets this offseason is a left-hander.
When reviewing the group the Mets have, it is vastly improved and consists of four arms they can feel more than comfortable with. Having Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino, David Robertson, and Brooks Raley, the Mets are strong at the top. Knowing from that bunch, though, that Raley is the only left-hander, the Mets would be smart to add one more to complement him. Not to mention, having one more bullpen arm for early innings to get to Ottavino and Robertson would only help.
A week ago today, there was some reported buzz on the Mets having an interest in two of the top left-handers available. Reports indicated that they were one of the teams in on Andrew Chafin. He is likely looking for a multi-year deal, though, which would be tough for the Mets to make happen.
However, along with the Chafin buzz, last week was the report that the Mets had also talked with another left-hander in Zack Britton as well. Britton would be the perfect signing for the Mets at this point, but is there a chance it really happens?
- Mets get encouraging update on All-Star ace’s injury recovery
- 3 Notes from the Mets series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals
- The Mets are about to have a complicated decision on their hands
Zack Britton would be a great addition to the Mets, but it seems unlikely:
As a left-hander with multiple years of past dominance, as recent as 2020, Britton offers exactly what the Mets need to complete their bullpen. Not to mention, he has a relationship with Buck Showalter from their long eight-year tenure together with the Baltimore Orioles (2011-18).
He is a low-risk, high-reward type of signing for the Mets if they can make it happen. Unfortunately, while Britton makes a ton of sense for the Mets, it does not seem probable at the moment.
Within the last few hours, Andy Martino of SNY shared that while the Mets like both Chafin and Britton that the two are probably “longshots” at this point. Martino also stated that the Mets want bullpen pitchers with Minor League options at this later time in the offseason, which is nothing new.
While Chafin is understandable, it is a bit of a disappointment that the Mets are not too motivated to add Britton. The bullpen could use another left-handed arm with proven success and a chance to be a solid contributor to the group this year. In 12 MLB seasons, Britton has a 3.13 ERA. In six years (half of his career), his ERA has been below 2.90.
Signing Britton would be a great move for the Mets if it were to somehow happen. The probability does not look favorable that the Mets land him, though. If not, they would be smart to pursue a left-hander to give this bullpen improved depth.