March 30, 2015

Lean to the Left

The Mets acquired two left-handed relief pitchers Monday:

The New York have made two trades to bolster a bullpen lacking in left-handers, acquiring Alex Torres from the San Diego Padres and Jerry Blevins from the Washington Nationals.

The Mets sent minor league right-hander Cory Mazzoni and a player to be named to the Padres and outfielder Matt den Dekker to the Nationals in deals made hours apart Monday.

The Mets’ bullpen had been without a reputable lefty since Josh Edgin learned he needed Tommy John surgery in mid-March.

So the Mets get an heir and a spare. Torres strikes out more batters, but Blevins has better control, so Terry Collins has a choice when a lefty comes to the plate.

The Nationals were a little thin in the outfield due to injuries. den Dekker’s strength as a hitter is getting on base, so that should help if both Jayson Werth and Denard Span are out for a while. Mazzoni never pitched in the majors, but his strikeout and walk numbers are consistently good through his minor league career, and he looks like he can help the Padres now. Looks like good deals for all involved.

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