Mets swing two trades to strengthen their bullpen
With a week between them and opening day, the New York Mets pulled off two trades Monday that should strengthen their bullpen.
The club acquired Alex Torres from the San Diego Padres earlier in the day, then swung a deal to get Jerry Blevins from the Washington Nationals on Monday afternoon.
Both are left-handed relievers, a scarce quantity on the Mets roster before this. Sean Gilmartin, a Rule 5 draft pick from the Minnesota Twins, was the only lefty reliever still with the club at this juncture of spring training. Gilmartin is 24 and has never pitched in the big leagues. He had a 5.19 ERA in 10 Grapefruit League appearances.
The price for the Mets’ late-March shopping spree? Matt dan Dekker, a backup outfielder, is going to the Nats, while pitching prospect Cory Mazzoni and a player to be named later are headed to the Padres. All in all, not too bad.
Blevins will be the Mets’ left-handed specialist — their LOOGY, as the Interneters like to say. (That’s “Lefty One-Out Guy.”) Left-handed hitters slash .212/.264/.330 against Blevins for his career. Torres, on the other hand, can pitch a little longer — he threw 54 innings in 70 games last season for the Padres, posting a 3.33 ERA and 51 strikeouts against 33 walks. In 2013, with the Tampa Bay Rays, Torres posted a 1.71 ERA in 53 innings.
While the Mets were relatively quiet this offseason after signing Michael Cuddyer early in free agency, you have to give GM Sandy Alderson credit for going out and addressing a glaring need on his team the week before the season starts.
The Mets, armed with an excellent starting rotation, have a reasonable chance to contend for a wild-card spot in the National League this season. A dependable bullpen matters down the stretch. Just ask the Detroit Tigers.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
