Here’s why the NY Mets should end up paying one of the top free agent relievers

Tanner Scott might be a far reach for the New York Mets. Or is he? The team has operated with some reserve. It’s a good hybrid of what Steve Cohen would do with David Stearns to put in his two cents on how to run a team from a baseball standpoint and not just with an open wallet.

The Mets bullpen has yet to be addressed in a major way. Several depth moves, some of which could end up being more important than we’d like to believe, have happened. The flashier signings like the dream addition of Scott in the back of the bullpen for the Mets might seem unrealistic until we consider what the roster already looks like.

If the season started today, the Mets could field an okay bullpen. “Okay” isn’t good enough for what they want to achieve. Something as significant as putting the lone body of Scott into the bullpen or even a Kirby Yates, David Robertson, etc. could be the finishing touch of a bullpen with a very “wait and see” approach.

The Mets bullpen is already more crowded than we might like to admit and that should pave way for the possibility of a top addition

I wouldn’t bet the house on Scott signing with the Mets although any reliever with an asking price of $10+ million shouldn’t be dismissed. Scott probably would like to close and deserves a chance to. The years might be one consideration to dissuade the Mets from signing him. Scott gains very little by even signing a lucrative deal to be a setup man with an opt out. Now is the time for him to cash in.

A better fit is any of those experienced setup men or closer who might not be viewed quite as favorably in the ninth inning any longer. Kenley Jansen had another fine year for the Boston Red Sox. He continues to get the job done late into his career. Players like him, Yates, or anyone else in the market for a one-year deal looking for quick cash and no long commitment is the direction for the Mets to possibly go.

Plenty of unanswered questions with the pitching staff as a whole will force the team into weighing several pros and cons on how they finish off this bullpen. At least one free agent addition feels like a must. A return for Ryne Stanek or Phil Maton is simple, but it isn’t better than what they finished the year with last year.

A planned six-man rotation will only allow the Mets to carry seven relievers. Roster wild card Griffin Canning could very well be a bullpen arm or a guy they’ve politely asked to accept a minor league assignment in preparation for some starts if everyone makes it through camp healthy. Beyond Edwin Diaz, raised expectations for Jose Butto, and the promise of what Dedniel Nunez can be, there isn’t a whole lot of substance.

The Mets already paid Clay Holmes $38 million over three years to be a starting pitcher which doesn’t seem much different than what he would receive on a team to pitch in relief. It would be irresponsible for them to not at least consider one high-profile reliever on the roster. Continue to add depth pieces, sure. Get at least one bully in the bullpen.