Mets Scaling Back As Season Winds Down

After being eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday night, the New York Mets will be going into early offseason mode with just four games remaining in the season.

Ahead of Thursday’s series finale with the Marlins at Citi Field, Mets skipper Mickey Callaway informed the team’s press corps that the team would “take care of some guys and be smart about these next four games going into the offseason”.

Left-handed reliever Justin Wilson is “one guy you’re probably not going to see again [this season]”, Callaway told reporters, adding, “we’ve worked him pretty hard”.

Wilson, 32, pitched to a 2.54 ERA over 45 appearances (39 innings) during his first season in Queens, racking up 44 strikeouts, 19 walks, and 1.33 WHIP.

After signing a two-year, $10 million deal to come to New York last winter, the veteran southpaw missed nearly three months of the season due to left elbow soreness (April 22 through May 6; May 11 through July 2).

Seth Lugo, who continued to thrive out of the Mets’ bullpen in 2019 (2.77 ERA, 102 strikeouts, 16 walks, 0.90 WHIP over 60 appearances; 78 IP), will see his field time scaled back, as well, with Callaway noting, “if Lugo pitches, it will be one inning and then won’t pitch back-to-back days”.

Edwin Diaz, who’s had an abysmal first season with New York (5.59 ERA, 2.24 home runs per nine), and Jeurys Familia (5.90 ERA, 6.52 walks per nine) could be called upon in higher-leverage situations in the absence of Lugo and Wilson.

As for the Mets’ closer role over these last few games, Callaway says, “it’s still going to depend on who’s available”, adding that Lugo will “still be available to pitch”.

“We want [Diaz] to finish on a good note. We want [Familia] to finish on a good note. And I think that going out there and getting a couple of saves would make that happen,” Callaway said. “Get some momentum going in the offseason; [Diaz is] going to have a busy one.”

Backstop Wilson Ramos, having already notched a career-high in games played with 140 this season (124 behind the plate), will receive the next two games off, as per Callaway.

Robinson Cano will most likely get a day off for Friday’s series opener versus Atlanta. Jed Lowrie appears to be destined to play out the season in a bench role, possibly being double switched into one of the team’s remaining games — “anything’s possible,” Callaway said.

We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.