We’re so used to the Mets’ bullpen needing to add quality relievers that we’re not really prepared for what happens in the next week to 10 days, where the Mets will have to decide how to handle adding three relievers coming off the IL to a group that’s been more good than bad the past two months. And the crazy thing is that the decisions could have been even harder if Kodai Senga hadn’t gotten hurt. Because the plan was to go with a 6-man rotation and a 7-man pen with Senga. At least now they’ll have eight relievers.
Here’s the current pen and what they’ve done in the majors since the beginning of June:
| Name | IP | ER | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Young | 5.0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.77 |
| Edwin Diaz | 11.0 | 1 | 0.82 | 2.44 |
| Jose Butto | 18.2 | 2 | 0.96 | 3.17 |
| Adam Ottavino | 19.0 | 7 | 3.32 | 3.11 |
| Huascar Brazoban | 32.1 | 13 | 3.62 | 3.99 |
| Danny Young | 15.2 | 7 | 4.11 | 3.36 |
| Phil Maton | 21.1 | 10 | 4.22 | 4.95 |
| Ryne Stanek | 20.2 | 13 | 5.66 | 6.07 |
| Total | 143.2 | 53 | 3.32 |
Brazoban, Maton and Stanek’s totals include innings with their previous club before joining the Mets. Unfortunately, the calculations were done before realizing that Alex Young pitched for the Reds this year before joining the Mets. But as his total was 0.1 IP and 0 ER – it wasn’t going to change the numbers very much and it was decided not to jump thru the hoops necessary to update it.
MLB relievers have a 4.04 ERA since June 1 and if the current Mets relievers were a team, they’d have the seventh-best ERA in the majors in this span. That’s not too shabby.
And the Mets have Reed Garrett, Dedniel Nunez and Sean Reid-Foley all on the IL and ready to return soon. Reid-Foley has already pitched in three rehab games, Garrett should pitch in his first later today and Nunez might not need any rehab games at all.
Garrett was lights out before hitting a rough patch and then the IL. Nunez had assumed the eighth-inning role before his injury and Reid-Foley had a 1.66 ERA in 21.2 IP before getting hurt. You’d think that all three of these guys would be in the majors if/when they’re healthy.
So, who goes when they come back?
One thing the Mets will have to ask themselves is if they’re okay with going with an all-righty relief staff. Currently, there are two lefties in the pen – both of the Youngs are southpaws. But they would also be two of the leading candidates to go. Maton has pitched much better with the Mets, so you figure he’ll be safe. But Stanek and now Brazoban have had poor starts to their careers with the Mets and they’ll have to be considered, too. The other candidate is Ottavino but he seems to have turned things around here lately, with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.065 WHIP in his last 13 games.
My opinion is that it’s more important to pick relievers who are good, rather than seven good ones and one who throws with his left hand. If the choices had to be made today, my picks to go would be the two Youngs and Stanek. But these choices don’t have to be made today and it’s very likely they won’t have to be made at the same time, either. And with relievers, a lot can change in 10 days.
Regardless, this is a good problem to have. Let’s hope that Garrett, Nunez and Reid-Foley all return and hit the heights they did earlier in the season when they were healthy. Because if so, they would all be better than the 3.32 ERA of the current pen since the beginning of June. So, they’d make a good pen even better.
If they want to to make the playoffs then they should choose the eight best pitchers for the bullpen. Diaz, Butto, Ottavino, and the IL trio should be a lock.
Danny Young because he is a mediocre pitcher and he has an option would be the first for demotion. Stanek and Maton have experience and because of that, they should get a pass for a short time but they have to pitch better and soon. Brazoban and Alex Young have options so they can get demoted but can easily get promoted if Stanek and Maton keep faltering. The bullpen should shake out by a few weeks (or sooner). Mendoza has to now use it properly.
Butto gives the team the option of seeing who pitches well and who doesn’t, both starters and relievers. If one (or two) of the starters falter then move Butto to the rotation. If not keep him in the pen and move out whoever is not pitching well out of the pen.
A topic that can be discussed for hours, we need to consider that Butto may not continue being unhittable forever. No wanting to jinx the guy, but certainly need to be ready for it and moving him between roles messes with his head. Since the manager likes to pull pitchers after 82 pitches when they are doing well because he’s a fan of Terry Collins, it’s best to have a stronger pen because even you give him a strong rotation he won’t take advantage of it.