New York Mets: Thoughts and Reaction To Antonio Bastardo Signing
The New York Mets upgraded their bullpen, signing LHP Antonio Bastardo. Check out some reactions and thoughts to the move.
The New York Mets added another left-handed reliever to their bullpen by inking Antonio Bastardo to a two-year $12 million deal, as reported by Jon Heyman. Bastardo has pitched in the Majors for seven season, spending his first six years with the division rival Phillies. Last season he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he threw for 57.1 innings and a 2.98 ERA.
The move comes on a day when most of the headlines surrounded Yoenis Cespedes and rumors that suggest he makes his return to Flushing. Instead of making the big splash, Sandy Alderson and the Mets front office continue to add on role players, which has been the theme of this Mets offseason.
The deal gives the Mets another lefty option out of the pen. Jerry Blevins, Josh Edgin, and Sean Gilmartin are the other three. Bastardo will probably get the first crack as the lefty setup man, as predicted by Adam Rubin of ESPN. Addison Reed is the right-hander who will get the nod in the eighth inning, so Terry Collins will have no shortage of options to use based on the handedness of the opposing teams batters.
Reactions
Mets fans will like this
— Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) January 21, 2016
Freddie Freeman career vs Antonio Bastardo ...
0 for 19!!
Since 2011, Antonio Bastardo is holding hitters to a .184 average which is the 9th lowest in the Majors during that span.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) January 21, 2016
Antonio Bastardo has faced the Nats 38 times and has a 1.84 ERA & 0.95 WHIP. Even better, Nats hitters are 13-for-100 against him w/39 Ks.
— Ed Leyro (@Studi_Metsimus) January 21, 2016
Antonio Bastardo is a very good signing. Still need that bat that Cespedes provides, but I absolutely love the Bastardo addition. #Mets
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) January 21, 2016
Thoughts
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The Mets have made it obvious that the approach they are taking this offseason is to add depth at multiple positions. Injuries happen all the time in baseball, and you never know who will be needed to take on a bigger role. What Alderson is doing is signing guys to short term contracts who are capable of doing that. We saw it with Asdrubal Cabrera signing for two years with a team option for the third year. We saw it with the Alejandro De Aza signing for one season. Now we see it with Bastardo for two years.
This gives the Mets a left handed option that has been consistent in the big leagues. While they do have a number of guys who are capable of being successful in the lefty specialist role, they don’t have anyone who has a decent track record of success.
Sean Gilmartin pitched well last year, but it was his first year in the bigs. Jerry Blevins has been around the game for a while, but he spent nearly all of last year injured and pitched to a 4.87 ERA with the Nationals in 2014. Josh Edgin was a quality pitcher for the Mets in 2012 and 13, and he really turned the corner in 2014 to the tune of a 1.32 ERA. However, that high level of success has been short lived and he returns from Tommy John surgery this season so we will have to see if he is still capable of putting up those numbers.
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On top of that, Bastardo is more than a lefty specialist, and thats why the Mets were willing to pay him $6 million per year. The fact that he also has a ton of experience pitching in the NL East is a big plus as well.