The Mets open a series at Anaheim on Friday but will begin August with a bullpen that carries over just one player from its July 1 start.
Adam Ottavino is the lone survivor of a unit that David Stearns is building on the fly. Stearns is known for rotating relievers in his bullpen and making them come alive, and he has lived up to that reputation in his first season in Queens.
At the start of July, Ottavino was surrounded by Ty Adcock (already released), Jake Diekman (undrafted), Matt Festa (released), Reid Garrett (injured), Adrian Hauser (released), Tyler Jay (DFA and traded) and Dedniel Nunez (injured).
“The bullpen is really inconsistent and the bullpen evolves throughout the year and the demands on the bullpen change throughout the year,” Stearns said after revamping his relief corps before the trade deadline. “We’ve tried to address the needs of the bullpen.”
After using 27 different relievers to get outs this season, the Mets may finally have found a team that works and can make the postseason. A more accurate guess is that for a team that has shown a willingness to stick with good relievers (Nunez comes to mind) and move on when they don’t perform (throw in 20 or so names here), the current roster will continue to be rotated.
“It feels good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said this week about the post-deadline relief corps. “We have a lot of options right now.”
Let’s take a look at the latest in Mets bullpen options.
As always: Edwin Diaz, Ottavino
Diaz has pitched like he always has since returning from the disabled list in early July (8 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts).
Ottavino has gone from wizard to mop-up this year, losing his spot in the bullpen but not his position. The 38-year-old Ottavino is starting to show signs of pitching like the reliable right-hander he has always been in his career, allowing just five hits and one run over his past 5 2/3 innings.
Converts: Jose Butt, Tyler Megill
Bhutto is becoming the second coming of Seth Lugo, so valuable as a reliever that the way he pitches is causing him to slip out of the rotation. The right-hander has thrown three innings in back-to-back games to keep him worn down in case he’s needed as a starter, but Stearns said he’s in the relief role “for now.”
Megill is in a similar interim position but hasn’t proven to be similarly effective out of the bullpen. The Mets, who start Paul Blackburn on Friday, currently have a five-man rotation. If they opt for a six-man rotation, Megill would be the most logical insertion.
Acquired in July MLB trades: Huascar Brazovan, Phil Matton, and Ryne Stanek
All three right-handers have postseason experience. All have proven track records, but Brazovan (2.84 ERA) has been the best this season. Maton (2 runs allowed in 7 innings) appears to have foregone his slider with the Mets, instead thriving with his cutter, sweeper, sinker and curveball. Stanek gave up big runs in his first start with the Mets but bounced back on Tuesday.
“When you’re trying to get into the playoffs, it makes the games more exciting and more exciting,” Brazovan said.
Young Brothers: Alex and Danny
Although unrelated, they are both left-handers who have been given opportunities recently and are thriving, so there is a connection.
Alex Young was acquired from the Giants in mid-July and quickly joined the bullpen, pitching 4 2/3 innings with one hit and no runs allowed, keeping the team largely scoreless. With a changeup that’s particularly effective against right-handed pitchers, Young has emerged as a standout in a bullpen in desperate need of a left-handed pitcher.
The same can be said for Danny Young, a minor league signing this offseason who has bounced between Triple-A and the majors but may be proving he can stick around: In his seven starts since July 10, he has pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts.
Danny Young missed most of last season after undergoing hip surgery but said earlier this year he was in the best shape of years.
“I wasn’t a prospect. It took me a long time to get to the big leagues,” said the eighth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2015 who made his debut with the Mariners in 2022. “I never took any day for granted and I never expected baseball to give me anything, so when the day comes that I get to the big leagues, I’m just going to try to do my best every day and do what the team needs me to do.”
Healthy Next Generation: Tyler Zuber, Matt Gage, Eric Ause, Shintaro Fujinami
Acquired from the Rays at the deadline, Zuber was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander, who began the year with the independent Long Island Ducks, missed a lot of batters in the Rays’ system (strikeout 29 in 21 2/3 innings with Triple-A Durham).
Gage and Ause, a prospect acquired from the Dodgers in early July, had struck out a combined 94 Triple-A batters in 69 2/3 innings before Thursday’s game. There’s no question about Fujinami’s pitching, but he’s walking too many batters.
The following players are currently in rehab: Garrett, Nunez, Sean Reed Foley, and Bryce Montez de Oca.
Garrett (neuritis) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.
Nunez (right pronator strain) shouldn’t be far behind. Reid Foley (shoulder impingement) struck out three batters Wednesday for Double-A Binghamton. Fastball pitcher Montez de Oca is looking to regain his control for Syracuse in his return from Tommy John surgery.
