Mets Monday Morning GM: A postseason pitching staff with length

Wherever the New York Mets finish in the standings and whomever they face to open up postseason play, this is a team with a lot of available length for the bullpen.

When all is good in the world for the Mets, the trio of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt will get the ball for them in the playoffs. The fourth spot is debatable with Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, and David Peterson as the likely candidates.

However things shape out, the Mets are going to have a chance to not only shorten games but also get a lot of length out of their bullpen in the playoffs. It’s not something unusual for teams in the postseason. The Mets could still be unmatched in this department.

The Mets postseason bullpen could be loaded with multi-inning options

How will the Mets bullpen look in the postseason? With at least Carrasco or Walker moved there, he could have the company of Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Trevor Williams as multi-inning options. This can be an asset to the Mets in keeping their more traditional relievers off the mound and fresher for when they are needed for three outs at a time.

Let’s say the Mets find themselves down early. They have multiple players they can turn to. The next game, if the starter has to exit early due to a poor performance, the Mets will already have some length they can get out of someone else.

This probably wasn’t the intention of the front office. The purpose of this starting pitching depth was to get them through the year because with the advanced age and injury history of several of their starters, IL stints were inevitable. Peterson and Williams have filled in admirably throughout the year. On Opening Day and until he got hurt, Megill was the man filling in for deGrom.

Not every starter can successfully transition to a relief role. We shouldn’t expect them to immediately become accustomed to appearing more regularly and for shorter periods of time. This is especially true for the more regular and seasoned starters whether it’s Carrasco or Walker. Williams shouldn’t have any problem as he has pitched in relief plenty this year. Peterson and Megill would be the two to have some worries about.

In longer games where extra innings are involved, the Mets won’t have to fret about burning a pitcher with length in his shoulder early. Megill can come in for some big innings and work as a traditional reliever. As long as they manage things well, someone else should always be available to help them grind deep into the night.