Reese Kaplan of Mack's Mets did an outstanding article the other day on possible high quality bullpen choices the Mets could pursue this off season.
I asked my brother, “Think Big Like a Cohen” Steve Brennan, which of these Reese-highlighted relievers he’d want the Mets get in 2021:
Brad Hand, Liam Hendricks, Trevor Rosenthal, Trevor May, Jeremy Jeffress, Kirby Yates, and Jake McGee.
Steve’s answer? “Why not 3 or 4 of them!”
Steve has some cache here. Every recent year, he has looked at the Mets' pen as porous and a blow out waiting to happen. Well, he's been very right. The farm's bullpen pipeline has not produced sparkling spring water, that much is clear.
So I agree with with essential concept.
The pen killed them, more or less, in the years 2017-2020. The seasons' murder weapons were found with their prints on them.
And this is not just a recent problem...the Wilpon regime's season where the Mets’ mediocre pen got totally exposed once Billy Wagner got hurt, and the Mets collapsed to the Phillies, was another example.
You want to make the playoffs and thrive? Build a killer pen, where good guys like Justin Wilson don’t get over-used and abused due to a lack of alternatives. Where there are several pen guys who can give you a killer inning and be rested enough between outings.
Far too many starts by guys like Jake deGrom were torched by a mostly lousy, and often overtaxed bullpen. I’ve written more times than I care to that any team that wants the post-season can’t have two guys like Sewald and Bashlor going 1-21. And many more culprits just as bad.
It is time to spend like mad on the pen to give Jake, Trevor, Stroman, etc. a relaxed feeling when they leave a game with a 2 run lead. And to not be tempted to go an extra inning with Thor in a close game when he returns.
To me, I look at the Mets minors right now and see only more of the same: marginal, fire starter types. Maybe I'm wrong there, having no 2020 minors to view the merchandise.
No! This is the year to be bold and build a pen that makes other teams cringe rather than making Mets fans cringe.
So...heck, yeah, sign 3 or 4 of the guys Reese mentioned.
Let’s win. A lot. This is a Call to Arms.
There's something to be said for quantity AND quality. It's not an either/or decision. What happens if you go all-in on a Brad Hand and he goes down with injury? Then your money is spent and you have nothing to show for it.
ReplyDeleteThe good news, Reese, is a big checkbook allows you to build quality and perhaps some surplus. The Wilpon's "hope everyone stays healthy and out-performs" has been a complete bullpen pipe dream. A thin pen is quite often a disastrous pen.
ReplyDeleteThe bad news is that the bullpen is already full and there will need to either be some trades, non-tenders, or outright releases costing them more $$.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Castro has options, but he would be a good Syracuse piece to learn how to throw strikes. By all reports, he has a live arm and could be a good one, but has not yet established himself.
Diaz is probably here to stay, and in reality, I want him to, although he is probably the easiest one to trade if it came to that.
Familia's contract and recent history is prohibitive when talking trade. It would hard to just eat $11M or so.
It is hard to tell where Betances is. Is he healthy? Again sunken cost to DFA him. Brach, the same, although not as much salary.
Gsellman: Easier to non-tender, but also a pretty good trade filler.
Lugo: I want him in the bullpen, not the rotation.
Shreve: The only lefty of the bunch. I don't know about his options either, so perhaps a depth piece at AAA?
So who goes, who stays, and who can come in? Diaz, Lugo, and Famila stay. Castro and Shreve are depth at Syracuse, Betances probably stays, Brach is released, and Gsellman is traded. That opens up 4 spaces. I like Brad Hand, Trevor May, Jeremy Jeffress and .. . Erasmo Ramirez. Shreve is the first one up.
A wildcard is Steven Matz. I would like to fill the rotation without him and he would seem to be a prime trade chip, but his left arm is also an intriguing bullpen option.
Remember 1969, great pen analysis.
ReplyDeleteMatz, just to be clear, has a 6 ERA in first innings in his career. Not sure about him in the bullpen for that reason.
I actually forgot about a few others:
ReplyDeleteNick Tropeano, Jacob Barnes, two recent waiver pick-ups and Franklyn Kilome. Not sure where they all fit in.
Obviously Drew Smith and Daniel Zamora are depth pieces, but both have probably earned at least a cursory look in spring training, especially Smith.
Thomas Szapucki has probably gone as far in the minors as he will and a decision will need to be made about his role.
Sewald is probably a DFA or minor trade piece.
Jurado and Oswalt are the last two on the 40 man that made spot starts. I don't see either of them on the MLB roster - again depth or trade options.
Tom, the point about Matz's first inning ERA was something I also had in mind. Perhaps a reliever routine would be more to his liking?
ReplyDeleteActually, I have a couple of trades proposed with him, thinking he might be welcomed by his old manager, now pitching coach Mickey Calloway with the Angels, or off to the Cubs with Davis for Kris Bryant.
Most teams need pitching and most teams are also optimists that think they can turn around good arms that have had bad luck.
Remember 1969, those would be interesting possibilities.
ReplyDelete