As Spring Training has rolled on, it seems more and more uncertainty has followed the Mets bullpen.
With that said, the Mets could be in the final stages of forming their bullpen, at least for the first week or so of the season.
As expected, Sean Gilmartin will likely make the team as a left-handed specialist in the bullpen, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
Gilmartin has pitched well as of late, as he hasn’t allowed a run since March 16. In fact, he’s allowed only two walks in his last six appearances along with six strikeouts spanning 4 1/3 innings.
Gilmartin has also held left-handed hitters to a .176 average this month, and he held lefties to a .190 average with Triple-A Rochester in the Twins organization in 2014.
While he has pitched well lately, Gilmartin is a Rule 5 pick, meaning he must remain on the active roster the entire year, or be returned to the Twins for $25,000, or half of what the Mets paid to secure his rights in December.
With the re-assignment of Scott Rice over the weekend, it was logical to conclude the Mets could find a second left-handed reliever via the external markets, considering there was no other reason to cut Rice with more than a week before Opening Day. And, Rubin says the Mets are not only continuing to shop, but remain confident they’ll be able to find a second left-handed reliever via the waiver wire or a trade.
In addition, with Vic Black likely headed to the disabled list to start the year, Buddy Carlyle‘s contract will be purchased in time for Opening Day, according to Rubin.
Carlyle, who has an opt-out and is not yet on the 40-man roster, makes the most sense as a short-term replacement to Black, as I wrote in my latest projection last week. That way, they can preserve the player option they’d have to spend on Zack Thornton when either Black or Bobby Parnell return.
You can read my latest roster projection here.
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