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3 Mets relief pitchers who can establish themselves as long-term options
The New York Mets are giving a lot of younger players a shot to establish themselves as long-term options for the team this year. They were active in free agency and on the waiver wire this offseason. It’s nothing especially unusual for them or any ball club. The offseason is a chance to bring in new bodies, see them perform in the spring, and maybe even carry them into the regular season.
A couple of guys could be big contributors for the Mets at least to start the year. Rule 5 Draft pick Zach Greene is one candidate for the Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, keeping him on the 26-man roster all year could get in the way. John Curtiss is another reliever to watch, but he is a bit older and with one minor league option remaining, long-term doesn’t quite fit for him.
These other three have all of 2023 to figure it out. They have minor league options and some other factors which could help them stay in the bullpen rotation.
1) NY Mets reliever Bryce Montes de Oca is an exciting young player
A flame-throwing reliever who made his MLB debut last year, Bryce Montes de Oca is one of those ultimate “sink or swim” types of pitchers. If he can find his control, the Mets will have a younger reliever they can ride with for a few seasons.
Montes de Oca turns 27 in April and is coming off of only his second professional season. He combined to toss 51.1 innings on the farm last season, pitching to a 3.33 ERA. More notable was his walk and strike out numbers. He fanned batters at a rate of 14 per 9 while walking them at a rate of 6.7 per 9.
There is some obvious growth for him but some weapons are already in his arsenal. He didn’t allow a single home run all of last season. In his 34 innings back in 2021, he surrendered one.
It’s typical for a hard-throwing like Montes de Oca to have such an amazing strikeout rate and suffer from an inability to find the play consistently. He’s a better candidate to begin the season in Triple-A than on the major league roster. However, if he can improve and master the strike zone just a little bit, the 2023 campaign could be a big one for him later on in the season.
2) NY Mets reliever Stephen Ridings has a lot riding on his 2023 performance
Stephen Ridings has a pair of minor league options left which is one of the big reasons why the Mets couldn’t resist snagging him off the waiver wire from the New York Yankees. His minor league numbers have been limited despite making his professional debut back in 2017 with the Chicago Cubs organization. A full-time switch to the bullpen in 2021 did him wonders. Ridings was 5-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings of work. He gave up 1 run in his 5 innings in the majors, too.
Control hasn’t been a huge problem for Ridings since his first year. He struck out batters at a rate of 13 per 9 in 2021 while walking them at a rate of 1.2 per 9. The 2022 season was almost a complete wash as he spent all but 2 minor league innings rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery.
Already 27, he’s another tall righty who throws hard and has a history of sending minor league batters back to the bench with their tails between their legs. He’s another perfect candidate to begin the year in Triple-A. If the Mets do keep their Rule 5 pick Zach Greene and out of options reliever Stephen Nogosek, they can wait until one of them becomes too much of a burden before promoting Ridings. He does have something to prove. His spring training performance is only the start.
3) NY Mets pitcher Josh Walker can save his career with a change to the bullpen
Josh Walker has been with the Mets organization since 2017. Although not quite classified as a full-time reliever just yet, he did begin the transition last year and into the Arizona Fall League. This 28-year-old lefty could be a sneaky-good arm for the Mets to turn to at some point this season. The major league bullpen has only one definite lefty in it right now, Brooks Raley. If needed, Walker could become a future option.
Walker ran into a bit of a road block since landing in Triple-A. He struggled as a starter there in 2021. In far fewer opportunities last season, the results weren’t much different. An injury limited him to only 22 innings. He got 9.1 more in the Arizona Fall League which at least showed the Mets have some interest in what he may be able to offer this year.
It’s not unfathomable for Walker to become a viable lefty reliever in the bullpen that eventually stays put. If the team truly does plan to keep David Peterson stretched out, the rest of their options are quite underwhelming.
The only urgency with Walker comes from his Rule 5 Draft eligibility already. All he has to do is pitch well enough for the Mets to add him to their 40-man roster to protect him. If he doesn’t, no one will probably select him anyway.
The Mets have enough other guys who can provide them with starting pitching depth in Triple-A. Make the switch official. See if Walker can fill a different need.
dark. Next. The dream Mets Opening Day lineup and pitcher for 2023