NY Mets Monday Morning GM: A better yet less than perfect bullpen situation

Find the person who builds an impenetrable bullpen and you find someone who can accomplish anything. David Stearns made his usual flurry of organizational additions, but many of those newcomers to the New York Mets who’ll be candidates to throw in relief will spend much of the season in the minor leagues. A.J. Minter and the return of Ryne Stanek were the two big moves made for an already crowded and one arm short group of relievers.

Due to the Mets deploying a six-man rotation, they’ll go to battle with 7 instead of 8 relievers on a more regular basis. This could change at times, but for the most part, they’re going to have to carefully construct how much, who, and when each player gets their opportunity.

The Mets bullpen looks far better than it did at the start of last year. However, the situation remains less than ideal.

The problems the Mets bullpen are going to run into

Firstly, we’re going to have Paul Blackburn or Griffin Canning in relief as a long man of some kind. The Mets don’t really have the luxury of having a player like this due to them being one arm short. Nevertheless, it was a built-in part of their plan and one way to add starting pitching depth to the organization. How either will do as a reliever remains a mystery.

Then comes one of those guys who did start for the Mets at times last year and won’t get his opportunity to do so in the coming season. Jose Butto was serviceable as a starting pitcher and far more excellent in relief. A multi-inning asset who can regularly close out the final 9 outs of a game for the Mets, his need to have two days of rest in between (most) appearances puts the Mets at a disadvantage. They may find themselves using him in less than ideal situations.

Immediately troubling will be how the Mets keep their relievers as fresh as possible. One less arm means everyone is going to be called upon a little more regularly. The construction of the roster doesn’t allow them to easily shift players back and forth from the majors to the minors. The best case scenario has the team beginning the year with one optional reliever on the roster, a spot many believe will go to Reed Garrett with Dedniel Nunez as the runner-up candidate.

When building a bullpen, preferences are key. The Mets don’t prefer to have optional arms. They don’t want quantity either. Quality seems to be the preferred method of going about things which, frankly, is tough to argue against.

The team is already pushing against several DFA candidates before the season even begins. Danny Young only makes the team if Minter isn’t ready for Opening Day. Sean Reid-Foley was strategically given a split contract, thus making him a little less desirable on the waiver wire and someone who might pass through more easily and become minor league depth. Suspiciously convenient injuries could always push players to the IL like it did with Reid-Foley last year when he was looking at potentially getting DFA’d. 

The Mets have a strong faction of experienced big league relievers waiting in the back row of the depth chart. How they actually get used is a little more complicated. Stearns did his job. Now the buck will get passed onto Carlos Mendoza to manage those chess pieces.