Read: Left Handed Pitchers and the Bullpen
In a post to Mets Fever, Ed Ryan notes that Pedro Feliciano is the only left handed pitcher in the Mets bullpen and says “The Mets really need to add a second lefty out of the bullpen.”
…i couldn’t agree more, ed…adding another lefty, or at the very least, a righty who handles lefties well would go a long way towards improving the Mets bullpen, as i have to believe all of the mileage Pedro Feliciano has put on his arm over recent years will eventually take it’s toll on him…
Ryan believes Jay Marshall and his “funky Bradford-esq delivery” could earn him a spot in the bullpen if he proves to be effective this Spring.
…the strongest ive seen the Mets bullpen in recent years was in 2006 when they had Feliciano and Darren Oliver from the left side and Chad Bradford from the right side, and i really feel, over the past three seasons, this team has lacked not just another left handed arm, but also a guy who can get big right handed hitters out…having a bevy of options like that makes it easier to maneuver late in games against dynamic lineups, such as the Phillies, and even though the Mets bullpen was undoubtedly improved last year from 2008, it still lacked a lot of good, situational relievers which leads to pitchers facing too many batters in the wrong matchup, and ultimately getting burned…
For more on the possible left handed additions to the Mets bullpen, check out Mets Fever here.
