Top 3 bullpen targets the Mets must add to the roster

The New York Mets bullpen was one of the more underrated strengths of the team. I can make a very compelling argument that it was in fact the team's biggest strength.

The rotation for pretty much the entire season was a mess. Jacob deGrom was Jacob deGrom, but he only pitched for half the year. Taijuan Walker was an all-star in the first half, and ended up being unusable by the end of the season. Carlos Carrasco was injured for most of the year and wasn't the guy the Mets thought they were getting when he returned. Marcus Stroman was the only arm the Mets could rely on to give the bullpen some sort of rest.

The inconsistencies in the rotation meant the bullpen on most nights was tasked with getting more than 12 outs. This meant guys were used pretty constantly and while most of the relievers pitched well, it's hard to rely on guys like Miguel Castro in huge spots day in and day out because the bullpen is so burnt out.

While there are some good pieces, the Mets bullpen needs some work.

The Mets have had an unbelievable offseason thus far. They signed Max Scherzer to help the rotation that desperately needed help. They signed Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar to help a lineup that was towards the bottom in all of baseball in runs scored. What they have not addressed is the bullpen.

There are a lot of good pieces in the Mets bullpen. As much as Mets fans love to hate on Edwin Diaz he really is one of the game's better closers. Trevor May and Seth Lugo are really solid right-handed late game relievers who more often than not get the job done. Miguel Castro and Drew Smith are great middle relief options who can go multiple innings.

The Mets best reliever was Aaron Loup who posted an ERA under 1.00. Unfortunately, he signed with the Angels. With the Mets losing their best reliever and lacking depth, the bullpen should be a big focal point whenever the lockout ends. Fortunately, there're some quality options available in free agency.

#3 Jake Diekman

For the last couple of years, Jake Diekman has been one of the more reliable left handers out of plenty of bullpens. The funky southpaw went 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 67 outings this season. What's really intriguing about Diekman is his ability to put hitters away. He struck out 12.3 batters per nine this season and has an 11.5 K/9 in his career.

The Mets had Aaron Loup to rely on to get the lefties out. With Loup leaving in free agency and Brad Hand a current free agent, the Mets don't have a lefty in their bullpen.

While Diekman is definitely tough on lefties, he can also be relied upon to get right handers out. Righties slashed .200/.286/.421 against him. He did allow 9 home runs which is high but Diekman for the most part was very effective against both hands.

Diekman's biggest weakness has always been his ability to throw strikes consistently. He's walked 5.0 batters per nine in his career. However, the walks aren't a deal breaker because he doesn't allow many hits, usually does not allow many home runs, (0.7 HR/9 in his career), and he strikes out a ton of batters.

The Mets have been great at finding high leverage left handed relievers the last couple of years with guys like Jerry Blevins, Justin Wilson, and Aaron Loup highlighting that category, I wouldn't be surprised if Diekman is the next arm to join them.

#1 Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin gives me a lot of Aaron Loup vibes. He's a fun lefty to watch who doesn't have a long history of extreme success but is coming off of his best season. While pitching with the Cubs and Athletics Chafin went 2-4 with a 1.73 ERA in 71 appearances. Loup was coming off of his best season with the Rays before signing with the Mets.

For pretty much his entire career Chafin has been tasked with being a left-handed specialist. He isn't super overpowering, but he more often than not will get the job done. Loup is very similar in that regard.

Lefties have posted a .593 OPS against Chafin with just seven home runs in 577 career at-bats. He seems like the perfect arm to get in a division full of extremely talented left-handed hitters.

Chafin is a little more well-rounded than Loup as he's posted better numbers against righties than Loup did before this season. I believe based on his track record and the track record of left-handed relievers the Mets have signed in recent years Chafin is a great fit.