FEB. 9: The Mets have announced the signing. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Blevins will earn $5.5MM in 2017 and has a $7MM club option for the 2018 season that comes with a $1MM buyout.
FEB. 4: Blevins will make $6.5MM in 2017 and could earn $12.5MM over the next two seasons if the Mets exercise his 2018 club option, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. He’ll also get $100K in incentives in each year (Twitter links).
FEB. 3, 8:10pm: The deal includes an option, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter).
7:52pm: The Mets have agreed to a deal to bring back free-agent lefty Jerry Blevins, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll be guaranteed around $6MM in the deal, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (via Twitter).
With the move, New York further adds to a relief corps that already saw new additions earlier today. The organization also brought back righty Fernando Salas and brought in southpaw Tom Gorzelanny on a minor-league pact for depth.
[RELATED: Updated Mets Depth Chart]
Blevins, though, was arguably a particular priority for New York. He’ll step in front of Josh Edgin and Sean Gilmartin in the pecking order among southpaws. Gorzelanny joins other depth options, including Josh Smoker and Adam Wilk.
Ultimately, it’s an appealing price tag for the Mets, who brought back Blevins last year for $4MM after an injury-shortened 2015 season. The results were excellent for both team and player, as Blevins turned in what was arguably his best full season as a big leaguer.
Over 42 innings last year — compiled across a personal-high 73 appearances — Blevins worked to a strong 2.79 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 to go with a 45.8% groundball rate. Long a weapon against opposing lefties, Blevins has increased his effectiveness against righties since coming to New York, perhaps aided by the increased deployment of his cut fastball. He also throws a sinker, a slider, and (much less frequently) a change.
With Blevins signed, the bulk of the left-handed relief market has now settled out. It’s interesting to see how things landed. Blevins, Boone Logan, and J.P. Howell all settled for single-season pacts, while Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn, and even Marc Rzepczynski landed bigger guarantees in multi-year arrangements.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wow things are starting to happen
Good stuff !!
The season can’t get here quick enough.
It’s going to be an interesting spring training !
One thing I don’t hear a lot of people bringing up though is the innings that big sexy ( colon )
Brought to this starting staff. Especially with such a seemingly fragile rotation. Hope I’m wrong !!
Syndergaard
DeGrom
Harvey
Matz
Wheeler/Gsellman/Lugo/Montero
Big sexy did his job when we signed him…bridged the gap in our rotation. Now it’s time to win a title, and this team could do it.
I Don’t disagree. He was an innings sponge though. Not to mention , fun to watch. Except for Thor, everyone of the top five is coming off an injury. Gsellman and lugo did great. But as they say never trust a late season call up or a spring training marvel.
Your right ! It’s time ! The amazins can do it this year. A team is only as good as its weakest link. Just hope our strength doesn’t turn out to be our Achilles heal.
One thing for sure is its gonna be a fun ride. !!
Go Mets…….
Lol Montero
There’s only one problem. “TC” has used and abused the starting pitchers over the past few seasons and you need to expect a few to go down for the season before spring turns to summer.
Don’t be a foolish optimist. Be a good Mets realist and get ahead of the curve.
It’s time to start hoping for the jets to sign a few free agents.
I love that Wheeler is always mentioned as a rotation piece. The guy hasn’t pitched in what, two years?
Always mentioned? He’s been mentioned as a possible rotation piece going into this upcoming season. That being said, it’s more likely he begins the season in the bullpen. Pay attention.
Now sign wieters and trade Duda and replace hi.m
Hell no to Wieters.
Duda needs one final shot.
Never understood all the Duda hate among Mets fans? Was it the Game 5 error everyone is so mad about?
Dude was 10th in fWAR among first baseman in 2014-15 (9th if you exclude Posey). Higher than guys such as Pujols, Carlos Santana, Hosmer.
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=1b&stats=bat&#…
It’s because he’s not Carlos Delgado.
That was two seasons ago. Yeah I have no idea why ppl don’t look at his fWAR from two seasons who….
For those with really short attention spans, Duda has a lifetime OPS+ of 121.
I never got it either, chri.
We all miss Delgado.
He’s also on the wrong side of 30, can’t hit LHP at all, and has never had an injury free season. Duda has AL 1B/DH/platoon written all over him. His OPS+ is that high simply due to what he does against RHP. He brings no value on the base paths and isn’t good on defense. Similar 2016 FA’s are still left unsigned……
Dodo is a loser…this team is WEAK up the middle. He is a wishful thinking signing for a team with little resources and even less ability to protect itself from foolish signings.
Why is this just as exciting as when Cespedes resigned?
If Wheeler can work as a dominant multi-inning reliever before working his innings up, I think the Met’s bullpen might be one of the most solid. Not exactly flashy but still solid
He won’t be dominant, so stop being so wishful. He will be injured again as a result of over use and abuse.
what relievers are left in free agency ? Blanton and ……?
Travis Wood
50 feet of crap
Jonathan Niese
Nice. This was imperative. As the Royals showed in 2015, and the Indians and Cubs showed in 2016, you can never have enough quality bullpen arms. I am on the fence about Wheeler in the pen. He has been out 2 years but people forget he was our second young gun to arise after Harvey. He has good stuff as anybody on the Mets staff. I really want to see our Big 5 in the rotation-Harvey, Noah, DeGrom, Matz and Wheeler. Plus we have depth with the emergence of Gsellman and Lugo. Wheeler might be good to begin the year in the pen to limit his innings and get hos arm strength up but Gsellman’s sinker might be better suited to relief. Cant wait for the season. Let’s Go Mets!
Gsellman > Wheeler.
I think that’s a big reason Wheeler is in the bullpen
I’m a huge fan of Gsellman, but I think the sample size is a little small to say Gsellman > Wheeler, esp long-term. But if it is true, I’d be even more excited about our SPs than I already am.
Wheeler hasn’t pitched in two years.
IMO, that makes him a huge wild-card.
Absolutely. On the other hand, Wheeler’s got a full-season of respectable big league pitching to his name – 49 starts at a 3.50 ERA. Gsellman’s made 7 starts. As a Mets fan, I’m just happy we have both, the front 4, and Lugo, too.
I am not a mets fan but that pitching staff is very exciting, good, and fun to watch
I may be biased, but Alderson played the bullpen market perfectly.
Signed Blevins and Salas for a combined $9MM. An absolute fraction compared to guys like Mike Dunn and Brett Cecil..
And WAYYY less than what Chapman, Melancon, and Jansen got. And yes, I think those three contracts have the potential to look horrible in two years.
I agree. Those contracts are bad for the game.
If they perform, the elite relief pitching is definitely going to cost some serious cash.
If the contracts turn out bad, they’re still going to be used as floor/ceiling during free agency contract talks so the elites are still going to get paid that kind of money
But Brett Cecil is not elite, he kinda sucked last year
He didn’t get Chapmans money and that’s my point. Elites are getting paid more than 15M a year and it seems like any reliever is making 6-9. At least the players are getting the some money now and I’d rather see them get paid instead of the owners wallet getting fatter
I’m fine with elite players at important positions getting paid like it. Good for them. And I think the Giants would be the first to say that an elite closer is very important. They had the Cubs, and let them escape.
I Agree that Anderson did a great job in the market. But elite closers were not in his menu because of famiglia
Addison Reed has also been quietly dominant since he came to the Mets in August 2015, having put up a 1.78 ERA over over 100 IP since the trade.
Man does that Mike Dunn contract look bad after seeing what Blevins and Logan signed for.
Why? Exact same AAV. And there’s an argument that given the unpredictability of relievers year to year, you want them controlled for multi years at low prices. Mets will be in same boat a year from now, and since he’s a reliever they may get nothing from Blevins.
Mets got an option for year 2. Apparently at a lower price.
I was wrong. Year 2 is $7M.
So relievers are volatile and thus you want more years to be locked into them? That makes zero sense. it’s much smarter to go year to year with them in case they fall off a cliff.
You a rockies fan?
When you think of $6 million worthy middle relievers, you don’t think….Jerry Blevins!
He is league avg against righties and is very good against lefties. Getting him for $6.5m (w 1yr option) is a steal in this market. He’s a good clubhouse guy too. The only concern I have is how Collins uses/misuses the bullpen.
He’s dominated lefties, which exactly what the Mets need him for, especially with Harper and Murphy on their division rival.
Ready for spring. Stay healthy, fellas!
What an awesome name for a pitcher, “Smoker”
Its like Sandy Alderson just got around to checking his voicemail today.
Hard to argue with any of these deals. I’d still like a veteran catcher to at least push D’Armaud and maybe a righty bat to play corner OF and 1B off the bench (not sure how that last one gets done while Bruce is still on roster) While the bullpen is far from a lock to be great, they should have enough to get to July where they can add a higher end arm.
Right bat off the bench for first base will be Flores. He has been crushing lefties. It’s going to be interesting how they get some these guys playing time like Conforto, Reyes and Largares. But I guess better to have to many options than the AAA teams they have put out there in the recent past. S
Agreed. If Flores is in a strict platoon w Duda they could combine for .850-.900 OPS. Over the past three seasons:
Duda v. Righties: .859
Flores v. Lefties: .876
They definitely have depth elsewhere w Reyes, Lagares, Conforto….and I’d add TJ Rivera and Nimmo. For once the Mets won’t have a bench full of AAA/AAAA filler.
They’ve got Lagares and Flores for those roles. Flo can’t hit righties but he turns into Mike Trout against lefties; he hit over .340 with power last year against LHP, following up a strong 2015 season against them.
Well I was expecting one of Blevins/Logan to be the jays primary lefty this year. Hopefully this past year was just an anomoly for Howell
Don’t worry we still got Loup lol
Howell better recover to a decent year for the Jays, The trouble is the Rogers center is a launching pad so the groundball rate better be good, otherwise with Howell’s decrease in velocity, he is going to get lit up. I suspect Loup and Howell may not even be with the team at the end of the season they are pitching so poorly…..
I’m so glad to have him back. 🙂
YAY! Well done, Mets & welcome back JB!
That is until “TC” puts him out there in April’s cold and wet games too much and he goes on the DL with elbow issues. The Mets trainers have experience, albeit always too late.
This team is armed and ready now. Plenty of depth everywhere…
Let’s Go Mets!!!