The New York Mets are on the verge of something special. After their agonising defeat to the Kansas City Royals in last season’s World Series, the defending National League East champions have bounced back impressively and look to be well on the way to securing a place in the playoffs once again. In fact, Terry Collins’ side is looking very strong and must be regarded as one of the leading contenders for glory. That said, they won’t reach the showpiece series unless they recruit help in the bullpen.
With the August non-waiver deadline fast approaching, the Mets must act quickly and effectively to ensure they have enough backup relief pitchers to cover any potential injuries for the remainder of the campaign. However, this is the New York Mets we’re talking about here; they won’t just accept anybody. The Mets need to find the right guys to join the franchise or else their hopes of reaching the World Series for the second year in a row will be in tatters.
According to various reports, the Mets are making a relief pitcher their number one priority for the coming weeks, although they aren’t too concerned about signing a top-rated prospect. So far, they have been linked with the likes of Ryan Buchter and Brad Hand; both are reliable and could do a job when/if required, although the former may be preferable. Ultimately, their season isn’t hanging by a thread but they need at least one decent pitcher for backup purposes, especially with the offseason looming large.
Padres News: New York Mets Interested in Brad Hand & Ryan Buchter https://t.co/vR033uOas2 pic.twitter.com/yucVNa39qp
— East Village Times (@EVT_News) July 15, 2016
If truth be told, the current bullpen are talented and have already proven their worth on the big stage. In fact, the Mets’ secondary unit came up trumps against the Royals last month, and this result sent out shockwaves across Major League Baseball. If the Mets bullpen are capable of beating the current World Series champions, then the entire New York organisation must feel pretty confident about their chances of success this year.
The Mets are well within their rights to be confident; they’re playing exceptionally well right now. At the time of writing, New York are priced at 20/1 in bet365’s MLB betting markets and it would be hard to bet against them on current form. The bullpen’s pitching was excellent against the Royals and the Mets could do with them recording similar figures in the coming weeks. San Diego’s Buchter could be the man to inspire Collins’ side to glory.
The Mets have a good, solid foundation for success and Buchter’s skillset would certainly enhance their chances of going the distance this year. With the bat, the Mets are fantastic but a little extra bullpen help wouldn’t go amiss. Buchter is a fantastic, competent pitcher and if they added him and another ‘lesser known’ name, the Mets would be positive about their chances. Who knows, with one or two moves in the next week or so, New York could be on the verge of another World Series showdown.
