Just Mets

For the last couple of days the Mets have contemplated having eight relievers on the roster for Opening Day and going with a four-man bench. On Saturday, the Mets decided this would be the route they take, reports Kristie Ackert of the Daily News.

“We certainly didn’t want to have to do it,” Terry Collins told Ackert. “Due to some circumstances, we tried to be careful with some guys.”

On Friday, Collins suggested an unusual solution to the short bench he would have with eight pitchers in his bullpen, suggesting they could use Jacob deGrom as a pinch hitter in certain situations, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

It definitely goes against the grain, but in reality, a four-man bench is really a three-man bench, considering the backup catcher is seldom used as a pinch hitter/defensive substitute.

deGrom is a competent hitter as pitchers go. It’s part of why the Mets are considering hitting him eighth on certain days since he’s not a total loss at the plate. But while I get the reasons why the Mets would consider having the extra pitcher in the bullpen, I wonder if this configuration would cause more problems than it would cure.

In the case of Eric Campbell (who deserves a roster spot), why handicap the manager late in games? Why put a pitcher (deGrom) in a situation where he’s expected to produce with his bat? What happens if a game goes to extra-innings, and Collins has no position players left?

At least he’s less likely to run out of pitchers in those situations…

It’s worth mentioning Buddy Carlyle can opt-out of his minor league contract by Monday, and this maneuver presumably means he will make the team out of camp. But, with Vic Black possibly returning next weekend and Bobby Parnell not too far behind him, they’re going to be reshaping this bullpen sooner rather than later, meaning Carlyle’s stay on the roster could be short-lived anyway.