Just Mets

The Mets have completed their search for left-handed relief help, acquiring LHP Alex Torres from the Padres, the team announced.

In exchange for Torres, the Mets have sent RHP Cory Mazzoni and a player to be named later to San Diego.

Torres will likely join LHP Sean Gilmartin to complete the team’s tandem of left-handed relief in the big league bullpen.

Torres, 27, appeared in 70 games for San Diego last season, going 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings.

While he held the opposition to a .230 average overall, he did have reverse splits in 2014: he held left-handed hitters to a .256 average while holding right-handed hitters to a .209 average.

In his career, Torres has held lefties to a .216 average with only one home run allowed.

The Mets had to do something, and it became clear they intended to go outside the organization when they demoted Scott Rice on Saturday.

Torres isn’t a natural left-handed specialist and he’s struggled in the walks department in his three year career, but Torres has shown he can be versatile in his ability to get both righties and lefties out. He has walked batters to a tune of 4.5 per nine innings in his career, but while its a small sample, he’s been better in that area this spring – the Mets will be counting on that contuing to improve starting next week. If he can, Torres could prove to be a good value at a minimal cost to the Mets.

Torres throws hard, but he also has a very good good change-up that tails away from righties, which probably helps explain his ability to get them out regularly. He does throw a curveball but not frequently – he primarily depends on his fastball/change-up combination for success. When he’s throwing strikes, he tends to get a lot of swings and misses with the change, which goes along with the theme of the Mets bullpen in general (when healthy, of course).