NY Mets: 3 free agent relief pitchers that are “musts” for Buck Showalter’s bullpen

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The saddest part of the New York Mets depth chart right now is in the bullpen. There are plenty of holes remaining. Already, with MLB free agency only a few days old, options are becoming more limited.

Relief pitchers are getting new contracts. Although the Mets wisely locked up Edwin Diaz before he could explore other jobs, there is a lot more work left for Billy Eppler to do.

It’s not inconceivable to expect the Mets to actually sign three of the better relief pitchers out there. It’s these three who should be at the top of the list. They are “musts” for Buck Showalter’s bullpen.

1) The Mets can’t make the Andrew Chafin mistake again

Somewhere, probably in the Saskatoon Prairies, is the World’s Biggest Drum. I’d like to visit it and bang loudly while shouting “The Mets need to sign Andrew Chafin.”

This has been a running theme for the ball club since Chafin was available last offseason. Through the lockout and until he eventually agreed to a deal with the Detroit Tigers, he was a target nearly every Mets fan desired. He chose to opt out of his contract for 2023. It’s time for Eppler to pounce.

Chafin was 2-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 57.1 innings of work last year. This coming season will be his age 33 campaign which doesn’t give him much permanency with the Mets. A two-year deal is probably what we’d be looking at.

Despite not really falling onto our radar until recently, he does have a lifetime 3.23 ERA. His early days with the Arizona Diamondbacks were very good. This veteran lefty reliever seems to have gotten even better since. In fact, other than a poor 22.2 innings in 2016 and whatever the 9.2 frames he had in 2020 was, Chafin has never had a season ERA over 4.00.

He’s a consistent lefty the Mets must have.

In the immortal words of every kid in the toy aisle: “I want it. I want it. I want it.”

2) Adam Ottavino was good enough for the Mets in year one, let’s give him another or two

The Mets may be picking between Adam Ottavino and David Robertson for the role the former had with the team in 2022. A native New Yorker who we saw excel last year, let’s stick with what we know.

Showalter knew how to push all of the right buttons on Ottavino. He gave the Mets a 6-3, 2.06 ERA performance in 65.2 innings of work. It was a huge bounceback campaign for him after a pair of rough seasons with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Can he be great for them again in 2023?

Ottavino’s early success with the Colorado Rockies should always entice teams into seeing him in a different light. Any pitcher who can thrive with them would naturally have success somewhere else. Even though he hasn’t pitched for Colorado since 2018, Ottavino has shown he remains a steady presence in the bullpen.

His first year with the Yankees included a 1.90 ERA in 66.1 innings. We can almost dismiss the 2020 season entirely. In 2021 with the Red Sox, the 4.21 ERA was worse than expected but not a Greek Tragedy by any means.

If you’d rather have Robertson, I don’t blame you. We just already know what Ottavino can do. Rather than completely rebuild the bullpen, it would be nice to invite this veteran righty back into the mix.

3) It’s time the Mets bring Michael Fulmer back

Another reunion candidate, sort of, would involve the Mets signing free agent Michael Fulmer. You’ve never actually seen him pitch for the Mets; at least not the New York version of them.

Fulmer was one of the player unloaded in the Yoenis Cespedes trade back in 2015. He won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2016 and was an All-Star in 2017. It all fell apart for him after. Fulmer’s numbers regressed and the Tigers permanently moved him to the bullpen during the 2021 season.

The transition saved his career. Fulmer was a very good back-of-the-bullpen piece for them over the last two seasons. In 2022, the Tigers traded him to the Minnesota Twins where he wasn’t quite as good but didn’t implode either. The same cannot be said about the rest of the team. They rolled over and finished third in the American League Central.

Through 120.2 innings as a reliever, Fulmer is 9-10 with a 2.98 ERA. He doesn’t turn 30 until March which is something else to like about him. Would a third year on the contract actually make sense? The Mets do need to consider relievers they can have under contract for a couple of years.

Fulmer in the sixth, Chafin in the seventh, and Ottavino in the eighth would be a superb lead-in to Edwin Diaz in the ninth.

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These 3 free agent relievers are "musts" for Buck Showalter's bullpen

1) The Mets can’t make the Andrew Chafin mistake again

2) Adam Ottavino was good enough for the Mets in year one, let’s give him another or two

3) It’s time the Mets bring Michael Fulmer back

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