Mets Rumors: Sergio Romo, Joe Smith Among Targeted Relievers

New York Mets Rumors: The search continues for a relief pitcher, as the Mets are reportedly targeting Sergio Romo and Joe Smith, in addition to Jerry Blevins.

New York Mets rumors continue to pop up despite Spring Training being right around the corner. The Mets made their big splash in free agency early on when they re-signed Yoenis Cespedes. But, there is still work to be done, namely in the bullpen.

The Mets were shorthanded in the bullpen at times last season; manager Terry Collins had little trust outside of closer Jeurys Familia and setup man Addison Reed. With a suspension possibly looming for Familia because of domestic violence, the Mets could use some help at the back end of their bullpen.

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Reed should take over the closing duties should Familia miss time. But, outside of him, there isn’t much to really get excited about. Hansel Robles was up-and-down in 2016, while Fernando Salas and Jerry Blevins are both free agents.

There have not been any updates on the Mets about Salas, but Blevins is someone they are looking into bringing back according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sport and MLB Network.

In addition to Blevins, Rosenthal reports that the Mets are looking at former San Francisco Giants closer Sergio Romo and Joe Smith, most recently of the Chicago Cubs.

All three would fit the mold of what the Mets are looking for. They all have late inning experience and would give the Mets a reliable arm in their bullpen. Romo carries a career ERA of 2.59 from 2008-2016 with the Giants. Smith has a 2.93 career ERA, while Blevins has a strong 3.44 ERA of his own.

The only problem with all three is age. Smith is the youngest of the trio at 32 years old; both Romo and Blevins are 33. That could prompt the Mets to look elsewhere, as Matthew Cerone of MetsBlog.com notes.

Rosenthal cites Cerrone, who says that the Mets could look on the trade market for low-cost reliever that could cost only prospects. One named mentioned is Arodyz Vizcaino of the Atlanta Braves.

Vizcaino has a lively arm and has experience closing for the Braves as well. He recorded 10 saves for the team in 2016 and has a career ERA of 3.52, which was buoyed by a 1.60 ERA in 2015.

Any of the four players mentioned would be solid additions for the Mets. Vizcaino would arguably be the best of the three to acquire.

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While he would cost the Mets some prospects, he would save on their salary cap. He will be under team control for four seasons, including 2017, as he is not arbitration eligible until 2018. That is something that could be attractive to a team such as the Mets that could be handing out some big contracts in the coming seasons to keep their starting rotation intact.