NY Mets: 1 minor yet vital offseason decision to think about

Which of the New York Mets free agents will the club re-sign? Which players who spent 2021 with other teams will they bring in? Who runs the whole show from the front office?

There is no shortage of major decisions lying ahead for the Mets. The roster could potentially look vastly different when they open the season in 2022. Decisions from whether or not to sign certain players or make particular trades will weigh heavy on management.

Far less minor yet vital offseason decision is the one involving who they plan to use as their long man out of the bullpen in 2022.

The Mets sure do have a lot of long man options in the bullpen

Is there anything less titillating than discussing who will be the team’s mop-up man next year? That’s essentially what the long man in any team’s bullpen is. He’s not there to get you nine out saves. He’s there to clean up the mess.

Like any team, the Mets got themselves into some messes in 2021. They were able to turn to a variety of arms to help get them through it. Guys like Robert Gsellman, Trevor Williams, and Sean Reid-Foley were usual suspects. All three have the potential to be back in 2022 but having more than one on the major league roster doesn’t make much sense at all.

Along with those names, the Mets also have some things to figure out with their starting rotation. Will Tylor Megill or David Peterson get a spot? And if not, do they go down to Triple-A or find themselves in the bullpen?

There’s no such thing as having too many arms under team control. Each of these guys mentioned has been capable of throwing multiple frames as a starting pitcher. Will any be the right fit for the long man role in 2022?

Some thoughts on what the Mets should do with these options

Megill and Peterson are too young and have enough value to simply move them into a relief role immediately. Personally, I would prefer to stash them in Triple-A until needed.

This still leaves the Mets with three other viable options before we even consider players they might add in the offseason.

Reid-Foley is the youngest and weakest of the remaining trio. However, the team does have a few more years of control over him. Unless they’re really pinching pennies, I don’t see him making the Opening Day roster in 2022.

Now left with the choice between Gsellman and Williams, we have a guy who has pitched mostly in relief in the big leagues and a guy who has only recently gone into the bullpen. Both are non-tender candidates this offseason. Likely, one departs and the other stays to take on this role.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

There’s the added benefit of having Williams around because of how much more familiar he is with starting games. In a pinch, the Mets could turn to him for an emergency start or bail them out early on for a couple more innings. Then again, the complete opposite could be said of Gsellman. Familiarity with pitching in relief means there’s less doubt he can get the job done. Williams might have a little more adjustment.