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New York Mets: What’s Next For Robert Gsellman And Seth Lugo?

By Steve Contursi

Aug 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman (65) pitches in his Major League debut to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman (65) pitches in his Major League debut to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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If we assume that the New York Mets starting pitching staff comes back next year intact and ready to go, what happens with Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo?

Where would the New York Mets be in their ongoing campaign to secure a spot in the NL playoffs without the five wins contributed so far by Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo? They were on nobody’s radar in April and it would probably be a fair guess to say that most of us didn’t even associate them with being part of the Mets organization.

And yet here they are and like the magician pulling a bird out of his hat, the Mets survival depends on how both men fair over their final 3 or 4 starts to close out the regular season. Who would have thought, huh?

But as the Mets have learned this season, a major league team can never have too much pitching. Injuries are bound to happen. The arm stress of spinning off a 89mph slider over and over again is simply too much to ask of one’s body. However, this is what’s required to get major league hitters out. So you do it and hope for the best.

So let’s assume that all of the original Mets starters in April come back next season all healed and ready to go. What happens now with Gsellman and Lugo? As always, there are choices that we’ll outline here. Which one though would benefit the Mets most?

One scenario for the Mets would be to trade either or both in return for some offensive help. Their value now is higher than ever, so why not reap the rewards. The trouble with making this choice of course is that once they’re gone you lose that insurance policy that helped you so much this year.

A second option would be to move Gsellman into a late-inning relief role. This would create a tandem of Addison Reed, Gsellman, and Jeurys Familia to finish out games for the Mets next season. This role might be ideally suited for Gsellman with that exploding sinker he’s continuing to master inducing ground balls to the infield.

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A third option is to send them to the back burner again in Las Vegas keeping them on ice in the event they are needed if pitching injuries thwart the Mets again next year. My guess is that the Mets will try that third option, but I’d like to see them try Gsellman as a reliever. He just seems to have the temperament and the hair to fit that role.

Finally, these are nice problems to have, and virtually any choice they make can’t hurt them.

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