Call to the bullpen
Mets have limited in-house options to replace Diaz
PORT ST. LUCIE — David Robertson was asleep, but the pings from his phone and iPad soon awoke him with the bad news.
Edwin Diaz had injured his knee during a postgame celebration on the field with Team Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night — and it didn’t look good. That sentiment became reality Thursday, when Diaz was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee and had surgery to repair it. The typical recovery time is eight months.
Mets brass, for now, isn’t unveiling a plan to replace Diaz as the team’s closer, but Robertson, 37, is maybe the most logical candidate. He has a résumé that includes 157 saves over his 14 seasons in the major leagues.
Robertson, who was signed in the offseason to a one-year contract worth $10 million, said he doesn’t see his role changing with Diaz’s absence because he never viewed himself as holding a specific role.
“My plan coming here was to throw whenever Buck [Showalter] called on me and asked me to go pitch,” Robertson said. “It doesn’t matter to me when I pitch in the game, whether it’s the fifth through the ninth. But if I am asked to cover the ninth, I will do my best.”
Adam Ottavino also has experience at closer, with 33 saves over 12 major league seasons. Less accomplished in the role are Drew Smith and Brooks Raley, who round out the Mets’ high-leverage relievers.
Of course, the Mets could look to the trade market for help, but deals this early in the season are rare. And the asking price in terms of prospects would be high given that teams aren’t in a hurry to help the Mets.
Lefty Zack Britton, who missed the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is among the prominent names on the free-agent mark. Britton threw in a showcase Thursday for interested teams, and the Mets had a scout in attendance.
Other relievers still available include Corey Knebel, Will Harris and Jeurys Familia.
“We still have a lot of talent in this clubhouse,” Robertson said. “Obviously we would love to have Edwin — he’s exceptional. But moving forward we’re going to have to figure out ways to get outs later in the game and we have got the talent here. We have just got to go out there and do it.”