The New York Mets bullpen has been a negative all season long, which was to be expected following the preseason Edwin Diaz injury. However, one of Buck Showalter's most reliable options from last season wasn't supposed to be one 2023's biggest problems.
Adam Ottavino has taken a massive step back during his second season in Queens. With his ERA nearly double from last seasons, it's long past time that the Mets stop giving Ottavino the ball in important situations
The Mets need to choose (or trade for) another high leverage option other than Adam Ottavino
Ottavino was the perfect setup man for Edwin Diaz last season. With a 2.06 ERA and 79 strikeouts, Mets fans felt safe at the end of close games with such an elite pairing, making the decision to bring Ottavino back for another season a no brainer.
However, he has majorly regressed across the board this season. Despite occupying the same 8th inning role, Ottavino has seen his ERA balloon to 3.72, and has frequently caught the ire of Mets fans throughout the nightmare 2023 season. His ERA somehow gets worse the later the game, as it rises to 4.60 in the 8th inning or later.
The biggest change with Ottavino this season has been a steep decline in his control. He is still striking out batters at the same rate, but constanlty finds himself in self-inflicted damage due to walks. His 17 free passes this season has already eclipsed the 16 total he had the entirety of 2022, getting him into a lot of trouble during his appearances.
Moving on from Ottavino is the easy part; replacing him is where it gets tricky. The Mets currenlty don't have anyone reliable enough to set up for David Robertson. Drew Smith and Brooks Raley have been inconsistent at best, and no other reliever has done well enough to earn a chance.
Realistically, the best chance the Mets have of moving on from Ottavino would be trading for his replacement. Lots of teams on the trade market have servicable relievers that the Mets might be able to trade for. Whether its giving up some outfield depth or absorbing a bad contract, the Mets need to do whatever possible to get Adam Ottavino out of important situations.