The lack of left-handed depth in the free-agent relief market has Mets officials considering whether their next bullpen move this offseason necessarily will involve a lefty.
Ideally, the club would like another lefty to complement specialist Daniel Zamora, but the drop-off behind Zach Britton – who could be beyond the Mets’ budget following Jeurys Familia’s addition at the winter meetings – might lead the Mets to look toward other right-handed possibilities. Another high-end lefty, Andrew Miller, was reportedly close to a deal with the Cardinals on Thursday.
The Mets also have pursued a deal with the Rangers for Mike Minor, according to . But the lefty, who thrived under current Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland with the Royals in 2017, has a partial no-trade clause and the Mets are among the 10 teams to which he cannot be dealt without his consent. Minor also could serve as rotation depth for the Mets. As it stands, they have Corey Oswalt penciled in as next in line behind the five starters.
One reason another lefty isn’t viewed as a must is the success Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz, in particular, had against left-handed hitters last season. Lugo held lefties to a .552 OPS, which was better than his numbers against righties. And Diaz, the Mets’ new closer, dominated against all comers, but thrived especially against lefties, holding them to a .444 OPS.
Zach Duke, Justin Wilson, Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins are among the lefty options available on the free-agent market behind Britton, who is expected to command closer’s dollars. Though Miller spent a significant chunk of last season on the disabled list and there were concerns about his heavy workload in recent seasons, he became a hot commodity based on his track record and the scarcity of options behind him.
If the Mets were to turn toward another righty, candidates could include former Yankees Adam Warren and Shawn Kelley and Ryan Madson. There is some thought in the organization that Warren is particularly intriguing because of his history working in a multi-inning role, similar to what Lugo and Robert Gsellman provided for the Mets last season.
Familia, who returned on a three-year deal worth $30 million, is expected to pitch in a setup role ahead of Diaz. In addition to Lugo and Gsellman, the Mets have largely untested Drew Smith, Tyler Bashlor and Eric Hanhold among the candidates for bullpen jobs. The Mets shed disappointing Antony Swarzak in the trade with the Mariners that yielded Diaz and Robinson Cano.
Zamora, a former Stony Brook standout, pitched to a 1.000 WHIP in 16 appearances for the Mets last season and is viewed as a pure lefty specialist who could alleviate the need to go the free-agent route for a Tony Sipp or Oliver Perez, both of whom have dominated in that role.
Blevins was the other lefty component of the Mets’ bullpen last season, but the veteran had a horrendous first half before showing improvement over the final 2½ months. Even so, the Mets probably won’t seek a reunion with the 35-year-old.