DENVER -- As they were beginning the process of selling off veteran pieces last summer, the Mets briefly became Trade Deadline buyers, acquiring reliever AJ Ramos from the Marlins. Their thinking, at the time, was that Ramos could play a pivotal role for their 2018 bullpen.
The reality turned out to be something quite different. The Mets announced Tuesday that Ramos will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, ending his season and perhaps his Mets career.
In 28 appearances this year, Ramos posted a 6.41 ERA, insisting he was healthy until the Mets finally placed him on the disabled list May 27. Ramos briefly debated the benefits of surgery versus more conservative rehabilitation, but ultimately decided to schedule the operation for Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
"It's going to be a long rehab for him," said Mets manager Mickey Callaway, who estimated the process taking up to a year. "It's not a fun rehab, so that's tough."
Ramos can become a free agent after the season, meaning his Mets career likely just ended with a 5.59 ERA over parts of two seasons. That was hardly what the Mets envisioned when they acquired him from the Marlins for prospects Merandy Gonzalez and Ricardo Cespedes.
Instead, the Mets built their 2018 bullpen around Ramos, incumbent closer Jeurys Familia, lefty specialist Jerry Blevins and free-agent acquisition Anthony Swarzak. Familia has struggled at times in the closer's role, blowing four of his 18 save opportunities, Blevins has allowed a .905 OPS to lefties and Swarzak spent more than two months on the disabled list. The Mets entered Tuesday's play ranked 27th in MLB with a 4.52 bullpen ERA.
"We went into the season thinking we had four or five guys that we could mix and match with, and do some different things in the 'pen," Callaway said. "We're just now getting three of them in there at the same time the last few days. We're going to miss that fourth guy. We were counting on Ramos."