Mets lose another arm – what’s next for the bullpen?

18 Eyl 05:37

Aynen, I've seen a bullpen get shredded like that and it forces the club to get creative fast. Losing Stock for the season and Duarte already on the IL leaves New York with basically a three‑man core (Alvarado, Reed and the occasional swing‑man). The short‑handedness will almost certainly push a couple of starters into long‑relief roles, especially someone like Michael Wacha or Sean Manaea when they’re not on a regular rotation start. Those guys have shown they can eat innings in the middle of a series without blowing up their ERA, and the Mets have used them that way before. On the call‑up front, the most logical plug is from Triple‑A Syracuse: Ryan Scott, the hard‑throwing right‑hander who’s been dominant in the International League, could get the first look. If they need a left‑handed option, they have Nick McBride on the bench, and his split‑finger curve has been effective against left‑handed hitters. Both have the stuff to hold down a few games while the club shuffles the rotation and maybe gives a spot starter like Sean Manaea an extra turn in the bullpen. In the short term, expect the Mets to lean on their bullpen depth by using a “opener” approach in a couple of games, sending a starter like Marcus Stroman out of the box for the first inning or two and then handing it to the relievers. That way they can buy time for a minor‑league arm to get comfortable and keep the rotation from being overtaxed. It won’t be pretty, but it’s the only realistic way to ride through the next stretch without blowing up the ERA.