New York Mets: Five best relievers to add to the bullpen this winter

Blake Treinen helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win a World Series in 2020. Could he help the New York Mets do the same in 2021?

Two years ago, Blake Treinen was an all-star and came in sixth place in the Cy Young voting. Last year, he was a key piece in the Dodgers’ bullpen and helped them secure their first World Series title in 32 years.

The 32-year old pitcher bounced back in 2020 from what was a nightmarish 2019 in which he had an ERA of 4.97 and an ugly FIP of 5.14. But the right-hander rebounded nicely in 2020 and showed that he still has a lot of value to add for teams in the 2021 season.

With Edwin Diaz securing the closing duties for the time being, and deservedly so, Treinen could be a bullpen arm that the Mets look to bring in not competing for the closing role, but rather helping to lock down the 6th, 7th or even 8th inning. Having pitched 25 innings in 2020, 17 of those came in either the 7th or 8th innings, which would give the Mets some flexibility with May and Lugo.

Outside of 2020, Treinen has posted a K/9 rate of nine or better in each of the last three seasons, including a whopping 11.2 in 2018, the year he received Cy Young votes. With the swing-and-miss stuff that is prevalent in the Mets bullpen currently, Treinen would be a welcomed addition in 2021. While the market has shown to been a bit healthier than initially believed, Treinen is predicted to sign a two-year deal in the $14 million range this offseason.

It still remains to see how manager Luis Rojas will construct the bullpen roles, but having Treinen adds another layer of depth that gives him the flexibility to play to matchups or not lose quality in late-inning games if a particular reliever isn’t available. One of the things that Jared Porter emphasized in his press conference was adding quality depth to the Mets’ roster in 2021 and signing an arm like Treinen can help the team to do just that.