With several arms out of options, 'pen dilemma awaits Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Count ‘em up, and the Mets made 14 bullpen acquisitions this winter, counting only those who received invitations to Major League camp. That’s not normal. Fourteen is an extraordinary number for a team that’s also returning eight relievers from last year’s roster, not to mention a smattering of other young pitchers who could play relief roles at some point this season.

Even after making their first round of roster cuts last weekend, the Mets still have 20 relievers left in the clubhouse. Of those, six are essentially guaranteed jobs: Edwin Díaz, Adam Ottavino, Jorge López, Brooks Raley, Jake Diekman and Drew Smith. A seventh, Kyle Crick, is injured and won’t make the Opening Day roster. That leaves 13 relief pitchers competing for what’s likely to be two open bullpen spots.

It’s an abnormally large number of optionless pitchers, adding pressure for the Mets to make the right decisions. Unlike last April, when the club routinely cycled players on and off its active roster, the lack of optionality on this year’s team means that the Opening Day bullpen mix probably won’t change much once it’s set.

“Every day at breakfast, we start by talking about it,” Sean Reid-Foley quipped after striking out the side against the Yankees this week. “No, I’m just kidding. It is what it is. I mean, we’re here to compete. I’m here to pitch for the Mets. And let’s say the dominoes don’t fall my way -- 29 teams are watching me.”

That’s quite literally true, as Reid-Foley has become something of a scouting darling this spring after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022 and returning late last season to strike out 16 batters in just 7 2/3 innings. Reid-Foley already has six punchouts in three Grapefruit League innings. His odds of passing through waivers unclaimed seem relatively slim.

“I want to pitch for the New York Mets,” Reid-Foley said. “I want my teammates that are in my locker room right now behind me.”

The rest of the Out-of-Options Club is an interesting one with plenty of diversity. Michael Tonkin, for example, is a veteran of six Major League seasons who spent two years away from affiliated baseball, pitching in Japan, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and an independent league. He returned last year with the Braves to throw 80 roughly league-average innings, proving expert at multi-inning appearances. Mets officials value that, giving Tonkin a strong chance at one of the two open roster spots.

The incumbent? That’s Phil Bickford, a 2023 Trade Deadline acquisition who debuted Tuesday with a forgettable outing, allowing three runs while averaging 91 mph on the radar gun. He’ll need to improve both his raw materials and results if he wants to make the team.

If that doesn’t happen? Mets officials are plenty intrigued by Yohan Ramírez, an offseason trade acquisition from the White Sox, and Yacksel Ríos, a Minor League signing. Ramírez features some of the best pure stuff of any bullpen candidate, which he showcased in earning a save against the Yankees. Rios, who pitched in a Minor League intrasquad game on the back fields, is the competition’s hardest thrower; among Mets, he’s thrown 10 of the 12 fastest pitches tracked on Grapefruit League fields so far this spring, all of them 97 mph or above.

Bringing all of these players to camp gave the Mets significant margin for error and a long runway to evaluate. But it will also make their decisions difficult, while likely boxing out less experienced, optionable players such as Shintaro Fujinami and Nate Lavender. A realistic Mets bullpen looks like this:

RHP Edwin Díaz
LHP Brooks Raley
LHP Jake Diekman
RHP Jorge López
RHP Adam Ottavino
RHP Drew Smith
RHP Michael Tonkin
RHP Sean Reid-Foley

Manager Carlos Mendoza cited consistent strike-throwing as the most important element in the Mets’ evaluation, though other factors will also be at play.

“We’re going to get through a stretch here where we’ll get a better look at some of them, and we’ll see where we’re at, at the end of camp,” Mendoza said. “But so far, I’ve been really, really pleased with the way they’re throwing the baseball.”