3 returning pitchers that could battle for a bullpen spot in spring training

2) NY Mets bullpen candidate: Stephen Nogosek

Stephen Nogosek has been a member of the Mets organization for a while. He was acquired in the 2017 trade when the Mets sent Addison Reed to the Boston Red Sox. He has left briefly and returned without much sign of a future in the big leagues. This seemed to change in 2022. Nogosek became one of the minor league relievers the team rotated through whenever they needed some fresh innings.

Last season’s numbers for Nogosek include an impressive 2.45 ERA in 22 innings of work for New York. Nothing about him screamed “ya gotta keep me around!” As long as he isn’t preventing the Mets from making other moves, he’s worth a few more looks just in case he has figured it all out.

One factor working against Nogosek are his lack of minor league options. It’s somewhat minor. The Mets can go forward with him on the Opening Day roster and DFA him if things don’t work out. There isn’t much at stake with losing him. He’s either going to perform well or poorly. This isn’t like last season when the Mets traded for out-of-options lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez and seemed to feel like they had to stick with him because the deal cost them Miguel Castro.

If Nogosek makes the Mets Opening Day roster, it will probably be as the last line of defense. Think of him as an arm they can turn to when no one else is available or one team is blowing out the other.