Opening Day is Monday and the Mets are still finalizing their roster as they prepare for a two game exhibition series in Montreal. Jose Valverde has officially made the team after being placed on the 40 man roster. In nine games this spring, “Papa Grande” has pitched ten innings ,yielding ten hits and only one walk while striking out seven with a 3.60 ERA. Valverde appears to have regained confidence and good velocity on his fastball. This revelation has led Terry Collins to delegate secondary closer duties his way if a save situation is needed in back-to-back games. Collins has relayed to the media regarding early games this season, his reluctance to use Bobby Parnell in consecutive games until he feels his health is optimal. Perhaps Parnell’s lack of velocity this spring is factoring into that decision to go along with neck injury recovery. Valverde has saved many games in the past, but Mets fans will need to see positive results before jumping aboard his bandwagon. Most recently, Valverde is known for losing his closing duties going into the 2012 postseason thus straining hopes of a championship for Detroit. He will have to gain a strong command of his secondary pitches along with sustainable velocity to re-vitalize his career. So far, so good… but it’s not as if the Mets have many reliable options.
Scott Rice and Carlos Torres may also get meaningful innings in close games, but I would suspect Jeurys Familia to get many nods too, due to his spectacular innings this spring. After starting this spring with ten scoreless innings, while yielding only five hits, five BBs, and tallying 7 Ks, Familia yielded his first runs yesterday in a rocky seventh inning against the Nationals. That one appearance aside, Familia has been possibly the most impressive Mets pitcher in camp. He still has his blazing fastball, but the sinking action on many of those pitches has been eye-popping. He has also showed a terrific slider that has moved almost as violently as his heater. Although Familia has little major league experience, 23 innings to be exact, he looks composed and in command on the mound. Now that Vic Black has been demoted to Triple-A, don’t be surprised if Collins goes to Familia in some big spots early in the season.
The bullpen has been a question mark for fans on an annual basis. It’s worth noting, that if you look back at one of the more reliable bullpens the Mets had, you would have to notate the 1999 bullpen consisting of Armando Benitez and John Franco: two pitchers Mets fans readily harassed despite their success. Since those winning years, it’s been a crap shoot to say the least, culminating with the well-known collapse of 2008.
Well, this year’s bullpen continues the trend of the unknown predictability factor. Along with Parnell, Valverde and Familia should get the first cracks, late in games, at breaking those Mets’ fans hearts once again…or maybe this year will be different.
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Spring Training stats should be meaningless except in this case where Valverde and Familia had such awful 2013’s and there is very little competing with them. The average NL starter goes 6 innings therefore each team really needs two dependable set up men. I think Familia to Valverde to Parnell should secure most leads. I also think if one of them falters in the role then Torres should be given a shot. I would leave the behind in the score innings eating to German, Lannan and Rice. Parnell having not fully recovered his velocity, Valverde so inconsistant the past two years and Familia is such a raw rookie that I think the bullpen is pasted together with a hope and a prayer. Hopefully it will work out this year. Amen.
Valverde: the next Hawkins or Lyon?
If i were a betting man, i’d probably choose Lyon.
Valverde aside, if we can get a Familia, Black, Parnell- 7,8,9 near the end of the year, and is reliable, if not very good, I’d be very happy.