Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 flavors of David Stearns Kool-Aid worth sipping from

3) Mets fans can sip from Improved Bullpen Blue Raspberry Jam

Until only recently, the Mets bullpen looked like it was going to be the stain on the season. Jorge Lopez and Michael Tonkin were the only additions they made. Then Stearns got busy. He signed Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman, and Shintaro Fujinami in the matter of days. Suddenly, with those three in tow, the bullpen looks much better.

This isn’t to suggest all three of those additions plus the returning group is masterful enough to give New York the best reliever group in baseball or even an average one. The depth is worrisome, at least to begin the year. They do have some intriguing pitchers coming upward toward the majors, but by the time even some of the notable starting pitching prospects could help out in relief, it might be too late to save the season.

Stearns deserves a lot of credit for building a competent bullpen when he was left with very little. He essentially built around Edwin Diaz, Brooks Raley, and Drew Smith. The one major con is other than Fujinami, no one has minor league options. This includes returning relievers Phil Bickford and Sean Reid-Foley plus Yohan Ramirez whom the Mets added in a trade with the Chicago White Sox early in the offseason.

Will this bullpen actually taste any better than last season? Swap David Robertson for Diaz. Add in a second lefty—a good one, too. Somewhat forgotten, the Mets opened last year with Tommy Hunter and Stephen Nogosek on the roster. Jeff Brigham pitched the fifth-most innings in relief. Yes, this bullpen is a lot better.

Tilt your head back. Open your mouth. This flavor of Kool-Aid will keep you hydrated.