The Mets are keeping José Buttó in a multi-inning relief role, skipper Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including Newsday’s Tim Healey). Righty Tylor Megill will stay stretched out as a starter and compete for a rotation spot in camp.
Buttó opened last season in the rotation. He started seven games and managed decent results, working to a 3.08 ERA across 38 innings. Buttó’s command was worrisome, though, as he walked nearly 14% of opposing hitters. New York optioned him to Triple-A in the middle of May. He started eight games and turned in a 3.05 ERA before being recalled at the beginning of July.
Upon his return to the majors, Buttó worked exclusively in relief. He was a quality bullpen piece for the season’s final few months. Buttó allowed only two earned runs per nine with an excellent 29.7% strikeout percentage over 36 frames. His walk rate remained elevated at a 12.3% clip. It’s difficult to stick as a starter with that kind of command, so it’s not especially surprising that the Mets will keep Buttó in a 2-3 inning role.
New York is likely to run a six-man starting staff. Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Frankie Montas and bullpen conversion Clay Holmes will be in the Opening Day rotation if healthy. The sixth spot could involve a camp battle between Megill, Paul Blackburn and free agent signee Griffin Canning.
Megill started 15 of his 16 appearances a year ago, pitching to a 4.04 earned run average while fanning 27% of batters faced through 78 frames. Canning started 31 times for the Angels last season, struggling to a 5.19 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate. Blackburn, whom the Mets acquired from the A’s at last year’s deadline, had a 4.66 mark while striking out 18.7% of opponents over 14 starts. Blackburn underwent postseason surgery to address a spinal injury, but the Mets are hopeful that he’ll be ready by Opening Day.
Mendoza also provided some details on the team’s infield mix. Free agent pickup Nick Madrigal will get shortstop work this spring, relays Mike Puma of The New York Post. The former fourth overall pick has not played shortstop in his MLB career and only has six innings of minor league work there. He saw some action at shortstop in college, though he was mostly a second baseman in amateur ball as well.
The Mets have less of a need for a true backup shortstop than most teams do. Francisco Lindor rarely takes days off. They’d ideally have someone capable of playing the position available off the bench, though. If Ronny Mauricio opens the season on the injured list, Luisangel Acuña is their most experienced shortstop depth. The Mets would presumably rather have the 22-year-old (23 next month) playing every day at Triple-A Syracuse than spending most days on the major league bench.
New York has three players locked into the starting infield: Pete Alonso at first base, Lindor at shortstop, and Mark Vientos at the hot corner. Second base is arguably the biggest question in a deep lineup. While Acuña and Brett Baty should each get time there in camp, Mendoza indicated that Jeff McNeil has the leg up on the job going into Spring Training.
“There’s competition but Jeff is pretty much right there,” the manager said (link via Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic). McNeil rebounded from a terrible first half to hit .289/.376/.547 over 40 games in the second half. A broken wrist cut his regular season short. McNeil made it back for the NL Championship Series. He had a rough series, which is understandable for a player returning from a month-long absence from game speed, but the excellent second half and his broader track record should make it an easy call for the Mets to keep him in the lineup to start the year.
This dudes getting roasted- going by Joey?
It’s pronounced “boot-oh,” right? My 12-year-old self hopes otherwise, of course.
There is zero chance that didn’t cross the mind of everyone who knows what that means on this site. =)
I’ve said it many times before and will continue to say it: they need to move Megill to the bullpen full time. And keep Butto there, too. But I just think Megill’s arsenal will just take off across the board in relief. He hasn’t been great there yet, but I’m convinced both Megill and Butto can be like Seth Lugo when he was dominant out of the pen.
His brother is nasty for Milwaukee and that took a minute so you are probably right.
Butso has a brother?
Megill has an option. Blackburn and Canning do not. Thats not a definitive factor for Stearns, but Megill will have to outplay the others convincingly in order to foce one of them off the roster. Of course, there are always injuries…
Nice to see smart, informed fans on here. I agree about Megill in the pen. I still wish we’d trade for an another frontline starter. This is the most fragile part of the team.
Who would be in their wheelhouse? I’d imagine passing on Flaherty was indication that he was too much. That probably also rules out Luis Castillo. I’m not sure.
Castillo could work if we can include McNeill in the deal. I’d prefer to trade for Cease. But only if we can do so without giving up Jett, Sproat or Acuna.
That’s a tough ask for Cease. And I don’t think the Padres should trade him because they can compete for a WC spot. Perhaps by the deadline if they’re out of the race. Even then, I don’t think their price will drop for him.
@mattymets Agreed—the Mets currently project to 88-90 wins depending on the system you look at or give the most credit to, but they don’t match up well in a postseason series unless Senga comes all the way back—and even then their best starters except for Manaea have real durability issues.
I would have thought with the addition of Declining Pete it would have freed up the Mets to trade at least two of Acuna-Mauricio-Baty. for a big arm. Baty’s been able to play 3B a hair above average on defense, and so limp is the average hitter at third that all he needs to do is bump his OPS+ from 83 in 2024 to 90 in 2025 and he’s a 2 WAR regular at 3B making $1m.
As for Mauricio, he appears to have the arm for 3B, he was raised as a SS, and he looks like despite his height he can also handle 2B. I don’t know about his upside given his dismal OBP in the minors, but 2 wins a year for 6 years is a decent possibility.
Any team that can’t afford to keep their TOR would do well to raid the Mets cupboard for these two, plus the top 5 position player prospect they can probably get, and anyone else they can wheedle—while that haul is available.
Why not keep Butto stretched out as well?
Inappropriate
There are times when I would give almost anything to keep my Butto in relief.. Sorry, I feel really bad about that one, but it needed to be written.