Mets Rumors

Mets, Tom Gorzelanny Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | February 3, 2017 at 12:33pm CDT

The Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter links). Gorzelanny, who will be invited to Major League Spring Training, would earn $1MM upon making the roster and has another $1.8MM available via incentives, Heyman adds. The ISE client also has a March 24 opt-out date in his contract.

Gorzelanny, 34, split the 2016 season between the Orioles and Indians organizations, pitching to a combined 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 Triple-A innings. Gorzelanny appeared in seven games with the big league club in Cleveland as well, though he was hit hard and ultimately allowed seven runs in just three innings of work.

Gorzelanny has struggled in two straight seasons, but from 2012-14 was a quality bullpen piece. In 178 1/3 innings between the Nationals and Brewers in that time, Gorzelanny logged a 3.13 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 43.5 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s not an overpowering arm against left-handed hitters, Gorzelanny has nonetheless held same-handed opponents to a .229/.302/.356 batting line in parts of 12 seasons at the Major League level.

The Mets have been seeking left-handed relief help for much of the offseason, and while they’re rumored to have interest in a reunion with Jerry Blevins, there could be financial constraints preventing that from happening. Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker and Sean Gilmartin represent left-handed options that are already on the 40-man roster, while Adam Wilk has also inked a minor league contract and will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invite.

Pitcher Notes: Greinke, Darvish, Romo, Blevins

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2017 at 10:01pm CDT

In the event the Diamondbacks rebound from a nightmarish 2016 to contend for a playoff spot this year, they should still be prepared to jettison right-hander Zack Greinke if the opportunity arises, opines ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required/recommended). Greinke will make $34MM in 2017, meaning he’s currently taking up a major league-high 46.7 percent of his team’s payroll (the Diamondbacks are at $72.8MM in commitments), notes Olney, who argues that dumping the 33-year-old’s contract should be one of the organization’s highest priorities. Greinke still has an unappealing $172.5MM left on the $206.5MM contract he inked as a free agent last winter, though Olney suggests he could be movable if the Diamondbacks agree to pay $50MM to $60MM.

Now for the latest on three other pitchers:

Speaking of massive contracts for aces, Rangers righty Yu Darvish was “very open” to discussing a five- to six-year extension worth around $30MM per annum earlier this offseason, but no serious talks have occurred yet, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the two could still reach a deal prior to the season, hammering out an agreement of that caliber during spring training would be difficult, Grant writes. For now, Darvish is on track to hit free agency after next season.
The mystery team vying for free agent righty Sergio Romo could be the reliever-needy Nationals, who have discussed signing the 33-year-old, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Romo told Casey Stern of MLB Network on Tuesday that both the Nationals and Mets have shown interest in him, and the longtime Giant is open to leaving the West Coast to sign with either (Twitter link). Romo could end up staying in his native California, though, given that the Dodgers are reportedly pursuing him.
Free agent southpaw Jerry Blevins has at least one single-year, $6MM offer in hand, tweets Olney. Of course, that figure is right in line with the guaranteed $6.5MM the Indians will give fellow lefty reliever Boone Logan. It’s possible the $6MM proposal is from the Mets, who want to re-sign Blevins, 33, but are looking to avoid a multiyear deal. Blevins, who was with the Mets the previous two seasons, recorded a 2.79 ERA with 11.14 K/9 against 3.21 BB/9 in 42 innings last year.

Market Notes: Mets, Dodgers, Rangers, Wieters, Reynolds

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2017 at 7:22pm CDT

The Mets were reportedly unwilling to trade outfielder Juan Lagares as of November, but teams are continuing to show interest in the soon-to-be 28-year-old, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether New York is now open to moving Lagares, who’s far and away the most qualified center field candidate on a team loaded with corner outfielders. Dealing the defensively adept Lagares and getting rid of his $4.5MM for 2017 would perhaps give the Mets the financial freedom to address their bullpen, though, as Puma notes. Lagares, who’s fresh off back-to-back underwhelming offensive seasons, has four years and either $20.5MM or $29.5MM left on his contract – depending on what happens with his 2020 club option.

NL East Notes: Cashner Trade Fallout, Nats, Familia, d’Arnaud

By Jeff Todd | February 2, 2017 at 1:45pm CDT

Last summer’s partially deconstructed swap between the Marlins and Padres had far-reaching implications, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. After learning of issues with Colin Rea’s health and discovering that San Diego had failed to disclose certain medical information, Miami considered rescinding the entire deal — which the commissioner’s office offered to facilitate. But due to practical considerations and the apparent preferences of the league, the Fish instead worked out a deal to send Rea back to the Pads for prospect Luis Castillo, thus keeping Andrew Cashner in Miami and Josh Naylor (and others) in San Diego. That, in turn, prevented an alternative deal that would’ve sent Naylor to the Phillies for righty Jeremy Hellickson. There was fallout beyond that, as Rosenthal explains, including the fact that Hellickson ultimately received and accepted a qualifying offer from the Phils that he otherwise wouldn’t have been eligible for.

Here are some more NL East-focused notes:

As presently constructed, the Nationals have a strong core but questionable depth beyond it, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues. The problems are compounded by the health questions facing many of the Nats’ best players. Cameron suggests (as we’ve done here, as well) that Washington ought to have considered adding a quality, left-handed bat to share time with Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Though that could still come to pass, the most obvious options are now off the market. Meanwhile, the team still arguably ought to bolster its late-inning relief corps and rotation depth.
The league’s investigation into domestic violence allegations against Mets closer Jeurys Familia is moving slowly, per Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com. With the criminal case dropped — in large part, it seems, due to a decision by his wife not to testify — the commissioner’s office is struggling to obtain information. While that won’t necessarily prevent a suspension, it is creating delay. According to Klapisch, it’s likely that the final penalty won’t be known until late in Spring Training.
The Mets are hopeful that backstop Travis d’Arnaud can restore his career trajectory after a tough 2016 season, David Lennon of Newsday writes. He’s already working with catching instructor Glenn Sherlock to work out the defensive kinks, though d’Arnaud also needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive at the plate.

Pitching Notes: Hammel, Jays, Royals, Blevins, Blanton, Braves

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | February 1, 2017 at 10:57pm CDT

Let’s take a look in at the latest on the pitching market:

MLB Network’s Peter Gammons tweets that one Cubs official to whom he recently spoke believes that many teams around the league assumed Jason Hammel was injured when Chicago surprisingly decided to decline his seemingly reasonable $12MM club option. That’s not the case, however, per Gammons, who notes that Hammel is in good health. It’s been a surprisingly slow market for the 34-year-old Hammel, who looks to be the top remaining starter on the open market. The 2016 season saw Hammel toss 166 2/3 innings with a 3.83 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 42.1 percent ground-ball rate. Over the past three seasons, Hammel sports a 3.68 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 40 percent grounder rate. Hammel did see his strikeout and walk rates trend in the wrong direction last year, which contributed to a 4.48 FIP, 4.34 xFIP and 4.28 SIERA that are among his worst marks since establishing himself as a big league starter.
Despite adding lefty J.P. Howell, the Blue Jays are still looking for another pen arm, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). It doesn’t seem as if there’s a clear preference between a righty and a lefty, as the club is said to be exploring both varieties of pitchers.
Likewise, Royals GM Dayton Moore says that his club still intends to add another arm, though it’s not clear specifically whether it’ll be for a starter or reliever, as Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com was among those to tweet. Either the trade or the free agent market could hold the missing piece, the GM noted.
The Mets and left-hander Jerry Blevins “have been exchanging concepts” for some time now, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney, but the Mets have only proposed one-year scenarios to this point. Blevins is known to be seeking a multi-year pact and seemingly has a realistic shot of obtaining one. Payroll has reportedly been an issue for the Mets — their current projection of $146MM would be their second-highest Opening Day mark ever — though the New York Post reported yesterday that the Mets are open to pursuing a back-loaded deal, which could serve as a compromise of sorts.
Similarly, Olney notes that the Dodgers were very pleased with Joe Blanton last summer but have limited interest at this time after spending a combined $192MM to retain the trio of Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill. Los Angeles is open to adding a reliever, but there have been rumors that they’re focused on one-year deals, and Olney’s mention of them does little to dispel that notion.
While there’s some uncertainty as to which left-handers will be working out of the Braves’ bullpen in 2017, Atlanta hasn’t expressed much interest in free agents such as Blevins, Javier Lopez, Boone Logan, Travis Wood and Chris Capuano, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves feel that those options are either too expensive or not definitive enough upgrades to sign. Ian Krol and Paco Rodriguez (if healthy) are likely to see significant work in the Atlanta relief corps this season, per O’Brien, who also runs down a number of other internal options.
Right-hander David Aardsma is slated to throw for interested teams tomorrow in hopes of landing an invite to Major League Spring Training somewhere. The 35-year-old last pitched in the Majors back in 2015, tossing 30 2/3 innings with the Braves and registering a 4.70 ERA. Aardsma has added about 20 pounds while following an Olympic weightlifting program in hopes of boosting his velocity. He struggled through a brief showing with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate last season but turned in strong minor league results in 2014-15.

Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Blevins, Jays, Alvarez, Breslow, Dozier

By Steve Adams | January 31, 2017 at 9:29pm CDT

The Mets are open to a back-loaded two-year contract with Jerry Blevins, according to Ken Davidoff and Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets have long been reported to hold interest in a reunion with Blevins, but the team’s inability to find a taker for Jay Bruce’s $13MM salary has been a deterrent to their ability to re-sign the southpaw reliever. Blevins, according to the Post duo, has been seeking a contract in line with Mike Dunn’s three-year, $19MM contract with the Rockies, though it’s not clear if any such offer will materialize. Recently, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Blevins’ agents have signaled to interested teams that they expect to be able to secure at least a two-year, $12MM deal. If Blevins is to land that type of commitment from the Mets, most of the salary would be allocated to the 2018 season, when the Mets will have considerably more financial flexibility. Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Addison Reed, Neil Walker, Rene Rivera and Lucas Duda are all set to come off the books after 2017.

Here’s more on the free agent and trade markets…

After agreeing to a one-year deal with lefty reliever J.P. Howell earlier today, the Jays are still on the hunt for a right-handed arm, reports Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are hoping to add a righty for a similar commitment to the $3MM that Howell commanded on his one-year deal with Toronto. Notably, Rosenthal quells some of the buzz that has built up regarding the Jays and White Sox closer David Robertson. Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported that the two sides had been in touch earlier this winter, and while many have used that as a launching point for further speculation, Rosenthal reports that there’s been no recent talk between the Jays and the White Sox.
Agent Scott Boras is trying to engage the Rangers in talks about slugger Pedro Alvarez, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Texas has been tied to a different first base/DH option, Mike Napoli, for the better part of a month. There’s somewhat of a disconnect between Napoli and the Rangers, though, as Napoli has reportedly been seeking a multi-year deal while the Rangers only want to make a one-year commitment. Alvarez would represent an alternative with comparable power but a worse glove at first base. Texas could theoretically mix Alvarez into a first base/designated hitter carousel that also features some combination of Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua, though Crasnick’s report doesn’t specify if the Rangers have any genuine interest in Alvarez.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi adds the Diamondbacks to the list of teams with interest in southpaw Craig Breslow (Twitter link). As Morosi notes, Arizona execs Mike Hazen and Jared Porter were both with the Red Sox when Breslow pitched for Boston from 2012-15 (as was D-backs exec Amiel Sawdaye). Breslow’s name has become more prevalent on the rumor circuit since a showcase at which he demonstrated a new arm angle for about half the teams in the league. The 36-year-old spent most of the 2016 campaign in the Marlins organization, tossing 14 innings of 4.50 ERA ball in the Majors. Breslow logged a 2.82 ERA in 402 Major League innings from 2005-13, but he’s pitched to a 4.93 ERA in 133 2/3 innings since that time.
Morosi also tweets a late addition to the Brian Dozier saga, noting that at one point the Twins sought Jose De Leon, Yadier Alvarez and Willie Calhoun from the Dodgers in exchange for the second baseman. Certainly, that’s an aggressive ask, though it strikes me as likely that said package was presented early in talks. Most recent rumors pertaining to the talks between the Twins and Dodgers suggested that the Dodgers were set on sending only De Leon to Minnesota (as the eventually did in order to acquire Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay), while the Twins sought at least one additional piece to the deal. Obviously, the two sides were never able to agree on a price, prompting the Dodgers to shift their focus to Forsythe.

Latest On Craig Breslow’s Market

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2017 at 1:55pm CDT

The Twins, Blue Jays and Indians are all “strong” in their pursuit of left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). The Dodgers and Mets are also interested in the veteran southpaw.

Breslow is likely to pick his new team once Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan (the top two left-handed relievers available) have signed. The Blue Jays and Mets have been connected to both relievers and the Dodgers have also been linked to Blevins, so it’s quite possible that Breslow could lose a suitor or two once the free agent market thins out.

Breslow has struggled for much of the last three seasons, though an overhaul of his mechanics and a new arm slot has led to renewed intrigue in his services, as almost half the teams in baseball had scouts at Breslow’s recent showcase. With this much apparent interest, Breslow can perhaps afford to be a bit patient in finding an offer, as he could still land a decent contract if as many as three teams will still be looking for lefty relief help.

With Logan and Blevins carrying reported price tags of at least two years and $12MM, Breslow is certainly a less-costly alternative, which has particular appeal to several of his suitors. Cleveland has already gone well above its usual spending limits to sign Edwin Encarnacion, the Mets’ payroll may also be somewhat maxed-out with Jay Bruce’s salary still on the books and the Jays may also be at or near their payroll parameters after re-signing Jose Bautista. The Twins are known to be attempting to wait out the market to score a bargain or two, as the rebuilding club obviously doesn’t intend to overpay for a bullpen signing.

From 2005-13, Breslow posted a 2.82 ERA, 2.1 K/BB rate and 7.4 K/9 over 402 relief innings with six teams (including the Twins and Indians). The 36-year-old has been effective against both left-handed hitters (holding them to a .693 OPS over his career) and right-handed hitters (.705 OPS).

Pitching Notes: Diekman, Imhof, Mets, Jays, Reds/Arroyo, Marquis, Urias, Nats, Harris

By Jeff Todd | January 26, 2017 at 9:59am CDT

Rangers lefty Jake Diekman underwent successful surgery to remove his colon, with several more procedures to come as he battles ulcerative colitis. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the latest, including video diary entries from Diekman himself. It’s well worth a watch to learn more about the unfortunate affliction and Diekman’s fight. We hope to see him back on the mound as soon as possible.

There won’t be a return in the offing for Phillies lefty Matt Imhof, who lost his eye in a terrible accident involving exercise bands. As Imhof himself writes in a moving piece for ESPN.com, he’s returning to finish his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and will retire from the sport. He says it’s not just due to the injury, though; as he writes, “the truth is I need a change of pace after 20 years of doing the same thing.” You’ll want to give a full read to the southpaw’s powerful story of coming to grips with — and not being defined by — his injury.

As we wish the best to Diekman and Imhof, here’s the latest on the market for pitching:

As the Mets look to bolster their bullpen, the team is still weighing a variety of free agents, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In addition to keeping open the possibility of a reunion with lefty Jerry Blevins, the Mets are also considering righties Sergio Romo and Joe Smith.
The Blue Jays are also keeping in touch with Blevins, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s search for a southpaw reliever has also led it to consider Craig Breslow, per the report. The team was among those to check out his new mechanics recently.
The Reds are exploring a reunion with former starter Bronson Arroyo, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, the team is not interested in guaranteeing him a roster spot, as Arroyo is two full years removed from appearing in the majors and has dealt with significant arm issues of late. GM Dick Williams confirms that the team has watched Arroyo throw and is weighing a signing, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter links). Beyond a move on Arroyo or other candidates for minor-league deals, Cincinnati is done with its free-agent signings, Williams adds.
Speaking of longstanding veterans weighing returns, righty Jason Marquis suggested in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he’s open to reviving his career. The 38-year-old last appeared in a nine-start stint with Cincy in 2015, but he’s set to pitch for Team Israel in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
While Dodgers lefty Julio Urias showed plenty in 2016 to warrant a rotation spot in the coming season, innings considerations may hold him back to start the year. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, skipper Dave Roberts says that the organization may keep him in extended Spring Training at the beginning of the 2017 campaign. Such an approach would not only ensure that Urias is available for good once he does make it up, but would afford more opportunities for the organization to see what it has in its variety of interesting, injury-plagued arms. Over at Fangraphs, Craig Edwards takes a look at what’s shaping up to be a fascinating staff.
There’s an argument to be made that the Nationals not only need to address their closer situation, but also ought to bolster their rotation depth, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. While the team’s five-man starting unit is likely set, which perhaps limits their ability to promise opportunities to free agents, a swingman could make sense. Janes mentions Travis Wood as at least a hypothetical match, and he would indeed seem to make a sensible fit.
31-year-old Cardinals reliever Mitch Harris is hoping to join former teammate Seth Maness in bouncing back from a “primary repair” procedure to his right elbow, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Harris last pitched competitively in 2015, but will be ramping up for a full spring after undergoing the surgery last summer. Because his surgeon was able to attempt that less-invasive approach, as opposed to a full UCL replacement, there’s a possibility of a much swifter return to the hill — though Harris will first need to earn his way into MLB camp after failing to receive an invite.

Bullpen Rumors: Badenhop, Lefties, Indians, Breslow, Colome, Twins

By Steve Adams | January 25, 2017 at 10:03pm CDT

Former big league reliever Burke Badenhop is joining the Diamondbacks in an interesting new baseball operations position, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. In his new role, Piecoro writes, Badenhop will perform “acquisition-based pitching analysis/sports science work.” That sounds like a great way to start a new career path for the veteran hurler, though unfortunately it’ll mean sacrificing the fame and riches associated with his gig as an MLBTR contributor.

In all seriousness, MLBTR wishes Burke the very best in his new pursuit; be sure to check out his excellent work in the Player’s Perspective Series. Here’s the latest from the relief market:

In his latest MLB Roundup column, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that a game of musical chairs appears poised to begin in the next couple of days as the market for left-handed relievers begins to sort itself out (ESPN Insider subscription required). Per Olney, the Indians, Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, Giants and Marlins are the teams most aggressively seeking left-handed bullpen help. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal also tweeted this morning that the Mets are still seeking bullpen help, though Olney notes that the team doesn’t have the payroll capacity to retain Jerry Blevins at his current asking price. There are a number of free-agent southpaws remaining on the market, including Blevins, Travis Wood, Boone Logan, J.P. Howell, Charlie Furbush (recovering from August shoulder surgery), Chris Capuano, Javier Lopez and Craig Breslow. Olney notes that Wood’s deteriorating swinging-strike rate has been a cause of concern for some teams.
While the Indians are indeed most interested in a southpaw, the club is not limiting itself to left-handed relief options, Rosenthal notes (Twitter links). Among other possibilities, Cleveland is said to be “doing background work” on veteran righty Joe Blanton, though Rosenthal notes that it’s far from clear whether the organization will even give out any more MLB deals (which Blanton surely will require).
Following a workout that was reportedly attended by about half the league, Breslow is drawing some level of interest from the Indians, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Rockies, Mets, Cubs, Twins and Reds, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford (Twitter links). The 36-year-old’s altered arm angle has piqued the interest of teams to the point where some consider him a viable fallback to Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan.
The Rays are still receiving trade interest in closer Alex Colome, tweets Rosenthal, but they’re not in any rush to move him. The 28-year-old Colome dominated opponents after taking over the ninth inning for the injured Brad Boxberger, tossing 56 2/3 innings of 1.91 ERA ball with 11.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate. Colome, though, is controllable for another four years and won’t even be arbitration-eligible until next winter, so the asking price on him would presumably be exceptionally high. While the Rays may not feel compelled to shop Colome, the team typically is willing to listen on nearly any player. I’d imagine any offer would need to include MLB-ready lineup help in addition to some prospect capital.
The Twins are interested in Joe Smith, reports 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson in his latest podcast (audio link, with bullpen talk beginning around 1:02:55). (Wolfson also noted interest in Greg Holland, but he’s now heading elsewhere.) Minnesota is “slow-playing” its search on the free-agent market as it attempts to wait out the market to secure a late value pickup or two, and with plenty of quality names left on the market, they’re probably not the only ones employing that approach. The Twins have previously been connected to both relievers, though that interest was first reported months ago, so it wasn’t exactly clear if they’d changed course at all. New Twins chief baseball office Derek Falvey knows Smith quite well, as the side-armer spent the 2009-13 seasons with the Indians, where Falvey was previously an assistant general manager.

Mets Intend To Open Season With Jay Bruce On Roster

By Steve Adams | January 24, 2017 at 5:50pm CDT

Jay Bruce has been one of the most oft-mentioned trade candidates of the offseason, but the Mets have now informed him that they plan to open the season with him in right field, reports Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

Set to turn 30 in April, Bruce hit .250/.309/.506 with 33 homers on the season as a whole last year but wilted with the Mets, slumping to a .219/.294/.391 batting line. That marked his second straight year with a late-season collapse at the plate (.178/.219/.357 from Aug. 1 through season’s end in 2015), which can’t have made trading him any easier for GM Sandy Alderson this winter. Also complicating matters is the fact that his once-premium defensive ratings in right field have tumbled since undergoing knee surgery in April 2014.

Bruce was always a fairly redundant asset with the Mets, as Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto are both, like Bruce, left-handed-hitting corner outfielders. Nonetheless, the uncertainty surrounding Yoenis Cespedes’ future in Queens prompted the Mets to exercise Bruce’s $13MM option as a safety net. When Cespedes re-signed on a four-year deal on Nov. 30, Bruce looked to be the odd man out.

Any market for Bruce, though, was slowed by a free-agent market that was rife with defensively limited sluggers that could be had at lower rates. Brandon Moss, for example, remains available to this day, while Michael Saunders signed a one-year, $9MM deal with the Phillies that is more affordable than Bruce’s deal. (The Phillies were said to have some interest in a Bruce trade prior to that signing.) The Mets reportedly never warmed to the idea of absorbing some of Bruce’s salary to facilitate a trade, and they also were reported to be seeking two prospects in exchange for Bruce at last check.

Retaining Bruce creates a familiar logjam in a New York outfield that figures to come with some defensive concerns. While Cespedes and Juan Lagares will provide quality glovework when the Mets face a left-handed starter, the Mets will presumably deploy Cespedes, Granderson and Bruce (from left to right) against right-handed starters.

Keeping Bruce in the fold also brings into question Conforto’s immediate role with the team. The Mets will look at both Bruce and Conforto at first base in Spring Training, according to Davidoff, but they also have Lucas Duda returning from a back injury. Duda is slated to earn $7.25MM and figures to be the regular first baseman if healthy, which could push Conforto to the bench or back to Triple-A Las Vegas. Conforto does have a minor league option remaining and has only spent 33 games in Triple-A in his career, so perhaps some additional time there would serve him well. He did, after all, struggle at the plate in his sophomore campaign. Then again, Conforto advocates can point to the fact that he’s a career .330/.402/.522 hitter in the minors that slashed .422/.483/.727 in 144 Triple-A plate appearances last season, creating an argument that he should be getting another chance in the Majors.

Of course, having depth is hardly a bad thing for the Mets, who now look like they’ll have a quality reserve option (Conforto) in the event that one of their outfielders gets hurt. Alternatively, an injury to an outfielder on another club could lead to some late interest for Bruce. Davidoff notes that the Mets “would of course slam the brakes … if a late suitor presented an interesting trade package, but that appears a long shot.” Most clubs looking to add a notable corner outfielder have already filled that void, although the Blue Jays and Giants could both plausibly look at Bruce as a left field option. (That’s just speculation, although the Jays have been linked to Bruce frequently over the past calendar year.)

By hanging onto Bruce and his $13MM salary, the Mets look poised to enter the season with a projected $146MM payroll. They’ve reportedly been waiting to move Bruce before pursuing additional help for their bullpen, but they’ll now be faced with the decision of pushing their payroll to record levels or sticking with internal options. Davidoff writes that left-hander Jerry Blevins is “clearly” interested in returning to the Mets. However, the market for left-handed relievers has been strong (see: Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn and Marc Rzepczynski), and Blevins could yet be in line for a multi-year deal.

There could be lower-cost options; J.P. Howell, Javier Lopez and old friend Chris Capuano are still available, as is Charlie Furbush, who underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in August and is still on the mend. The trade market and the spring waiver wire, of course, could present further avenues to obtaining some left-handed relief help. Failing that, the Mets’ internal options include Sean Gilmartin, Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker and non-roster invite Adam Wilk.

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