The changing map of the Mets’ bullpen

Every now and then you stumble across something great on the internet. One of my favorite non-sports things was something that came out several years ago, a time-lapse video showing how the borders of Europe have changed throughout the years. That video came to mind when thinking about the Mets’ bullpen. To be sure, it’s not just the Mets – it’s pretty much every team in baseball. But since we’re Mets fans, let’s limit it to this team. I can’t make a cool video to display the changes, so you’ll have to visualize this with your mind.

The Opening Day bullpen for the Mets was comprised of: Edwin Díaz, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman, Jorge López, Drew Smith, Michael Tonkin, Yohan Ramirez. It’s hard not to notice that only three of the eight relievers are still on the team here in late July. But it wasn’t simply a case of five moves to get from there to here. Let’s break it down by month. Here are the bullpen moves, taken from the transactions section at mlb.com:

April
4/1 – Recall Reed Garrett
4/5 – DFA Tonkin
4/8 – Add Cole Sulser, DFA Ramirez
4/9 – Select Dedniel Nunez, DFA Julio Teheran
4/10 – Option Nunez, select Tyler Jay
4/14 – Option Sulser, recall Grant Hartwig, option Jay
4/17 – Claim Tonkin off waivers, DFA Jay
4/18 – Option Hartwig
4/21 – Place Raley on IL, recall Hartwig
4/22 – Option Hartwig, DFA Tonkin, recall Josh Walker, activate Sean Reid-Foley from IL
4/27 – Recall Nunez, place Smith on the IL
4/28 – Option Walker, select Danny Young

Pen at the end of April: D. Young, Nunez, Reid-Foley. Hartwig, Garrett, Diaz, Ottavino, Diekman, Lopez. Yeah, that’s nine. But don’t worry – they’ll fix that soon!

May
5/4 – Option Nunez and Young, recall Sulser
5/8 – Option Sulser, recall Ramirez
5/15 – Recall Hartwig, DFA Ramirez
5/16 – Recall Walker
5/20 – Optioned Hartwig
5/28 – Recall Nunez
5/29 – Option Nunez, place Diaz on IL
5/30 – Recall Young, DFA Lopez
5/31 – Recall Nunez

Pen at the end of May: Nunez, Young, Walker, Reid-Foley, Garrett, Ottavino, Diekman. That’s only seven. But Adrian Houser, who started the year in the rotation, moved permanently to the bullpen this month, to round out the pen.

June
6/2 – Optioned Walker, activated Smith
6/13 – Optioned Young, activated Diaz
6/22 – Recall Young, placed Reid-Foley on IL
6/25 – Diaz suspended
6/26 – Recall Ty Adcock, placed Smith on IL
6/30 – Selected Jay and Matt Festa, optioned Young

Pen at the end of June: Jay, Festa, Adcock, Nunez, Garrett, Ottavino, Diekman, Houser

July
7/2 – Option Jay, recall Jose Butto
7/3 – DFA Festa
7/6 – Activate Diaz, select Eric Orze, option Adcock
7/9 – Acquire Phil Maton
7/10 – Recall Young, option Orze, place Garrett on IL
7/12 – Recall Orze
7/15 – Option Orze
7/23 – Recall Alex Young
7/26 – Acquired Ryne Stanek, recall Orze, DFA Houser, place Nunez on IL
7/27 – Option Orze

So, at the start of the day here on 7/28, the Mets’ pen is: Stanek, A. Young, D. Young, Maton, Diaz, Butto, Ottavino, Diekman

There are rumors that the Mets will add to the pen by the trading deadline. You’d figure that the two Youngs would have their roster spot in jeopardy. But neither Ottavino nor Diekman should feel safe, either. And both Garrett and Reid-Foley are expected back soon, too. So, while there’s been a ton of upheaval in the pen thru the first four months of the season, there’s still more to come.

Yet we can hope once the trade deadline passes and the two relievers from the IL settled, that the bullpen moves will slow down to a crawl. And maybe Europe can have some stability, too.