Who are Your Bullpen Lefties?

[Edgy MD]

Amid the devastating news that's come down in the past hour that left-handed hopeful T.J. Chism has signed with Somerset Patriots, I challenge you to pick the two guys you think will carry the most bullpen water from the left side with the 2015 Mets.

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[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Below gets some play. Alvarez gets a toedip. Gilmartin gets more than a fairshot at second-seat-lefty, but is more jack-of-all-roles-master-of-nothing.

It's Edgin-- as long as he can physically handle it-- and Ol' Buddy.

[Edgy MD]

This might have been even more fun as a "Match the Lefthanded Reliever to his Lefthanded Face" thread.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgin's got the big clubhouse lead (amazin' considering he was the first guy they cut last spring) but after that, who knows. I'm putting 5 Oroscos on Sean Gilmartin at least to begin.

LeatherRocket needs to drop the chalupa and go for it this spring. Longshot to make the club perhaps but not to keep his name in on the short list.

[smg58]

One spot is clearly Edgin's to lose.

Gilmartin, as a Rule V, will be given a clear shot to earn the second one, and has posted splits in the past that suggest he could handle it. Leathersich has a chance in this role as well. I could see Matz coming up in August if there is a need and a playoff spot to grab.

[smg58]

In Edgin's defense, he was coming off an injury and just wasn't ready by ST. It was a good call both to send him down when they did and realize he was back to 100% and call him up when they did.

[Edgy MD]

Edgin is a guy who, like Dario �lvarez, perhaps, really climbed fast once they earmarked him.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets have been given a lot flack in this department, for not at least bringing in MLB-grade left-handed relief help, but Carlyle and Edgy certainly delivered when they eventually got called on 2014.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You never know with relievers. I would have been less surprised if we never saw Edgin again than to see him resurface the way he did. Like that Henry Owens guy.

You have to wonder if they could identify guys who could be successful just given the right amount of CAHNfidence and opportunity.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You have to wonder if they could identify guys who could be successful just given the right amount of CAHNfidence and opportunity.

After getting productive innings out of a retread like Byrdak and a no-tread like Rice, I think they probably have some high confidence that they're better than the mean at shaking a tree and finding the right monkey for this role.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

To be clear, I think Gilmartin gets a shot out of the gate, if only because of the Rule V-iness/a half-decent camp relative to the others.

I just don't think he'll show you enough to stick, especially given how many other, better middle-relief-types will be hanging off the back end of this rotation or sitting around playing with their one-eyed Jacks in Vegas.

[Theoldmole]

Edgin the chalk, Alvarez the longshot.

[ashie62]

None, I see this role as one of the few weak spots in 2015.

[Edgy MD]

Well, someone will pitch. Who? Will they go with all right-handers?

Why do you see it as a distinct weakness, after excellent seasons by both Edgin and Carlyle?

[ashie62]

Yes someone will pitch. Edgin is probably a lock.

What I want is a left handed fireballer shut'em down type. Yes, those guys make all star teams but I want one.

[Edgy MD]

Well, I want Sandy Koufax, too, but the question is, who among those currently in the fold would you go with?

It's just about the only part of the team that isn't more-or-less settled. That and whether Niuwenhuis or den Dekker is your fifth outfielder, but even that has Nieuwie as about an 80% likelihood.

[Edgy MD]

In a blunder the like of which hasn't been seen since Neil Allen forgot Keith Hernandez's jersey number, I effed up in including Buddy Carlyle in this poll, even though he's a righty. I likely conflated him with his lefthanded fellow NRI superhero Dana Eveland, who has since left the fold.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: In a blunder the like of which hasn't been seen since Neil Allen forgot Keith Hernandez's jersey number, I effed up in including Buddy Carlyle in this poll, even though he's a righty. I likely conflated him with his lefthanded fellow NRI superhero Dana Eveland, who has since left the fold.

And I jumped right off that cliff with you, Thelma.

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: Well, I want Sandy Koufax, too, but the question is, who among those currently in the fold would you go with? It's just about the only part of the team that isn't more-or-less settled. That and whether Niuwenhuis or den Dekker is your fifth outfielder, but even that has Nieuwie as about an 80% likelihood.

Koufax is a starting pitcher.

I want a shutem down lefty and none are listed.

So Sandy go get one.

[Edgy MD]

Maybe if you named some names and how they are supposed to be gotten, that would help.

Gorzelanny? Because he's the only lefty with 20 innings or more (he had 21) who had a lower ERA than Edgin (27 1/3 innings).

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

If Rice agrees to hang in Vegas, well, he's done it before, he's more of a pure lefty-on-lefty specialist than Edgin is/will likely ever be and I can see them going for a stable, familiar face among all the greenhorns.

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Below gets some play. Alvarez gets a toedip. Gilmartin gets more than a fairshot at second-seat-lefty, but is more jack-of-all-roles-master-of-nothing. It's Edgin-- as long as he can physically handle it-- and Ol' Buddy.

As long as he can physically hand it looks like... perhaps not so long.

All dozen of youse (including mese) who bet on Edgin, it may be time to lay down some more chips.

[seawolf17]

Good news for Gilmartin, probably.

[Edgy MD]

Gillie gave up a three-spot in his last one-inning outing. He'll get every chance, but he's still got to pitch his way onto this team.

Ricecakes, on the other hand, has been spotless in his two appearances.

[Edgy MD]

Player	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG	WHIP
Alvarez, D	0	0	0.00	2	2.0	2	0	0	0	1	3	.286	1.500
Matz, S	0	0	0.00	1	2.0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000	0.000
Rice, S	0	0	0.00	2	2.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	0.000
Edgin, J	0	0	5.40	2	1.2	3	1	1	0	1	0	.375	2.400
Gilmartin, S	0	0	13.50	2	2.0	3	3	3	1	1	2	.333	2.000
Leathersich, J	0	1	33.75	2	1.1	2	5	5	0	5	0	.333	5.250

Still out there (I think): Sean Burnett, Phil Coke, Ryan Feierabend, Pedro Figueroa, Troy Patton, Aaron Poreda, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Raul Valdes.

First two have the best track record. Hate to hit the Coke machine this early though.

[Frayed Knot]

Still out there (I think): Sean Burnett, Phil Coke, Ryan Feierabend, Pedro Figueroa, Troy Patton, Aaron Poreda, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Raul Valdes. First two have the best track record. Hate to hit the Coke machine this early though.

Coke signed with somebody (although I forget who at this point) just in the last few days. Minor league deal too IIRC which seemed kind of odd to me in that a living, breathing lefty rarely has to go slumming for work so perhaps there's a health issue involved.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Cubs. Plenty of incentives (significant roster-makin' bonus, e.g.), though, and the scuttlebutt appears to be that he's more or less a lock for said roster. Then again, he is a 32-year-old LOOGY coming off seasons in which he posted WHIPs in the 1.5-1.6 range.

Edgy's owies seem to strengthen the hands of not only contenders like Rice, but also that sinister pud-tugger of Gilmartin's.

[Edgy MD]

With Rocket, Rice, and now Alvarez coming off of stinky outings, the optimistic point of view has Edgin's elbow rallying and Gilmartin adjusting to bullpen life (not to mention jumping from AA).

Has to be at least some thought directed at Matz at this point.

[Edgy MD]

Big day for Ricey today. Looks like Edge is going the rest-and-rehab route and will open the season the DL, while remaining a strong candidate for surgery.

"I think that's extraordinarily unlikely,'' Sandy Alderson said Thursday after the Mets hung on for an 11-9 win over the Nationals. "Highly improbable. But one never says never because you never know what's going to happen.''

David Lennon has Sandy poo-pooing the Matz-in-the-pen maneuver.

"I think that's extraordinarily unlikely,'' Sandy Alderson said Thursday after the Mets hung on for an 11-9 win over the Nationals. "Highly improbable. But one never says never because you never know what's going to happen.''

So I'll take that as "Not unless/until we've cycled through the alternatives and find ourselves burned and charred, and we haven't yet needed him in the rotation."

[Frayed Knot]

Possible options:

Rubin-ESPN.com: "Sources told ESPNNewYork.com that St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Sam Freeman and Washington Nationals left-hander Xavier Cedeno both are out of options and unlikely to make their clubs' Opening Day rosters. That means they either need to be traded, or their clubs must try to pass them through waivers to send them to the minors to open the season. "

Freeman, 27 y/o, has 70 IP in 81 games over 3 seasons although better splits vs RHPs [526 OPS-against] than against LHB [758]

Cedeno. 28: 52 IP across parts of 4 years (w/HOU & WAS) with worse numbers overall as compared to Freeman but better splits vs LHBs


... and there will likely be others as well as roster crunch time comes around.