What we're hearing about the Mets' pitching plans

New York Times

4 days ago

SAN DIEGO — The New York Mets are actively shopping starting pitcher Paul Blackburn ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, according to people briefed on the club's thinking. Blackburn is on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. He's scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.
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An impending free agent, Blackburn could be a fit for contenders looking for back-end starters or for sellers that will need to fill rotation spots after dealing other starters this week.
Blackburn is not expected to bring back much of a return.
The New York Post reported that teams were reaching out to the Mets about Blackburn in June, before a spate of injuries temporarily wrecked New York's starting depth.
Since being acquired for recent third-round pick Kade Morris this time last year, Blackburn has had a rough tenure with the Mets. He made five starts in August before injuring his hand on a comebacker and, while on the injured list, suffering a leak of his spinal fluid that knocked him out for the season. He missed the first two months of this season with right knee inflammation.
When he's been on the hill for the Mets this year, the right-hander has struggled. He's allowed 16 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings across six games (four starts).
'It's been embarrassing, honestly,' Blackburn told The Athletic earlier this month. 'I've never gone through anything like this in my career. … It's definitely been frustrating going back and watching outings because I don't feel like I'm throwing the wrong pitches at the wrong time. I feel like I have guys set up for what I want to do. For some reason, it's not going in my favor.'
The 31-year-old Blackburn attributed some of those issues to bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen — something he hadn't done at the major-league level previously.
'When I went into the bullpen, I felt like I was kind of all over the place,' he said. 'Mentally, I'd try to prepare like I was pitching today, and the days I wouldn't pitch, I sat there all day mentally in the zone. I'd never really had to deal with that.'
An All-Star in 2022, Blackburn owns a 4.97 career ERA.
The Mets' decision to option Huascar Brazobán, a mainstay of their bullpen all season, was with a longer-term aim in mind. New York had entered the season with several relievers capable of throwing multiple innings, Brazobán among them. But as Brazobán and José Buttó became more important as late-game relievers, that number whittled. Max Kranick's season-ending injury was another hit.
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So while down in Triple A, Brazobán will be stretched back out to throwing 35 to 40 pitches per outing, with three days off between appearances. That should get him ready to serve in a longer relief role for the Mets when he does return to the majors. Brazobán has pitched more than one inning just once since mid-June.
That longman role figures to grow in importance soon. In an ideal world, the Mets would be adding at least one late-game arm to their bullpen — and almost certainly someone they'd use in one-inning stints. Someone like St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, whom the Mets have some interest in, is a sensible fit. With that kind of acquisition and Edwin Díaz, Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett, Gregory Soto and Brooks Raley primarily limited to three outs, having the other two relievers in the pen capable of pitching longer would be vital.
The Mets have one stretch in which they play 26 games in 27 days, and they're contemplating sticking with a five-man rotation through that run — which likely means fewer innings from those starters. Having a few different relievers in the pen who can get six outs will be vital.
Tylor Megill could also get a look in that kind of long relief role upon his eventual return to the big leagues. Megill is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday; if all goes well, he'd graduate to a pair of live batting practice sessions ahead of a rehab assignment.
(Photo of Paul Blackburn: Justin Berl / Getty Images)