Bullpen Battle Heating Up As Spring Training Winds Down
John Curtiss. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
The New York Mets made a couple of pitching decisions late on Saturday night when they sent right-handed pitches Jose Butto, Connor Grey, Eric Orze, and Grant Hartwig, as well as lefty Josh Walker, to minor-league camp. The Mets will still need to figure out who will be the fifth starter as well as the last couple of spots in the bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter believes that the last 10 days of camp will be important to make these decisions.
“There’s a track record there you lean on if they are healthy and you kind of throw out some things, but everyone is kind of jockeying for position in those last 10 days,” Buck said.
Lefty David Peterson looks like he’s a near lock ahead of Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill, and Elieser Hernández to win the fifth starter spot until José Quintana returns from his fractured rib. That leaves Buck’s toughest decision to the back of the bullpen.
The Mets know they have star closer Edwin Díaz, veteran setup men David Robertson and Adam Ottavino, lefty Brooks Raley (Buck says he’s expected to be ready for Opening Day), and right-hander Drew Smith locked into the bullpen. That leaves likely three spots up for grabs.
Most of the pitchers still in camp vying for those three spots have pitched well including Bryce Montes de Oca (before he left the game today with a potential injury), John Curtiss, Sam Coonrod, Jeff Brigham, Stephen Nogosek, William Woods, Jimmy Yacabonis, and Tommy Hunter. Rule 5 pick Zach Greene, veteran lefty T.J. McFarland, and lefty Zach Muckenhirn are the only bullpen arms that have struggled to this point.
Showalter noted on Saturday night, after another rough outing by Greene, that it would be great to keep an arm like Greene’s in the organization. Certainly sounds like Buck knows the roster limitations combined with the performance of Greene is going to make it tough to stick with the Mets. Furthermore, McFarland and Muckenhirn chances of making the team heavily rely on the health of Raley’s hamstring strain.
Sam Coonrod. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
- Curtiss: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
- Coonrod: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
- Yacabonis: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
- Greene: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 6 BB, 5 K
- McFarland: 5 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
- Muckenhirn: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (0 ER), o BB, 5 K
- Woods: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
- Hunter: 5 IP, 0 R, 5 K
- Nogosek: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
- Brigham: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Curtiss, the Mets’ spot starter for the scratched Kodai Senga on Saturday, likely has the inside track as a veteran with a recent track record of major-league success. The Mets signed Curtiss last year as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and then picked up his option for this season. The former Ray has been dominant this spring with only one baserunner allowed and eight strikeouts in four innings.
All of Curtiss, Coonrod, Brigham, Nogosek, and Montes de Oca have the upper leg for the final spots given they’re on the Mets’ 40-man roster that is full. Nogosek is the only player of the group that is out of options meaning the Mets would have to place him on waivers to get him to Triple-A Syracuse if he doesn’t make the big league roster.
“Those last 10 days when everyone gets a little different look in their eyes and everyone starts taking these clock issues real seriously,” Buck said.
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