HELP

BY MIKE Rifkin

The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 7-5 on Tuesday night. The win propels the Mets to .500 (45-45) on the season. Now, you’d think a victory and getting back to .500 would be nice and it is, everything would be positive? No, Jose Quintana was a positive with seven shutout innings, but the Mets bullpen did what it has done most of the year, imploded.  Adam Ottavino and Reed Garrett allowed five runs, only to be bailed out by Dedniel Nunez and Edwin Diaz respectively. But this latest implosion almost cost the Mets for the second straight day. 

The Mets bullpen ERA for the season is 4.16, which doesn’t seem bad but it’s been a struggle all season long. The Mets bullpen has an ERA of over 10 so far this month, which is reminiscent of what happened in May, which right now is the biggest reason the Mets currently sit on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. Here’s the problem: there are not many people in the bullpen you can trust. Even Edwin Diaz has had blow up moments this season, so even the lockdown closer is a problem, who can Carlos Mendoza turn to in a big spot? Reed Garrett, was really good in April, but since has been inconsistent, like everyone else in the pen. 

The fans are not the only ones who have noticed that the Mets need bullpen help. According to reports, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (who should be an All-Star) has told President of Baseball Operations David Stearns and Owner Steve Cohen to get bullpen help. Even though the trade deadline is three weeks away, there aren’t many teams in sell mode at the moment, and the ones who are probably are asking for a hefty price that the Mets won’t want to pay at the moment. The Mets did acquire Phil Maton from the Rays on Tuesday. Maton has a 4.58 ERA this season and a career 4.28 ERA, but was a member of some good Astros teams. 

If the players are seeing the issues in the bullpen, if the fans are seeing the issues with the bullpen, then certainly David Stearns sees the issues in the bullpen. To quote a lyric from the greatest band of all time “Help me get my feet on the ground, won’t you please help me.” So yes the Mets bullpen needs some “HELP, NOT JUST ANYBODY HELP.”