Justin Wilson

Could the Yankees set up a reunion with talented left-handed reliever?

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New York Yankees, Justin Wilson

The New York Yankees have around $10 million to spend before hitting the luxury tax threshold, set at $210 million. They need one or two relievers, especially after trading Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox; and they could also use a left-handed bat for their bench.

The big fish relievers in free agency are now gone, after Liam Hendriks signed with the Chicago White Sox, Brad Hand with th Washington Nationals, and Archie Bradley with the Philadelphia Phillies. But there is still talent left! Trevor Rosenthal remains unsigned, as do Aaron Loup, Andrew Chafin, Roberto Osuna, Tyler Clippard, Mark Melancon, Yusmeiro Petit, and others.

One option that could make a lot of sense for the Yankees is Justin Wilson. The veteran left-handed showed in 2019 that he still has it: he had a 3.66 ERA and a 3.04 FIP in 19.2 frames, with a fine 26.7 strikeout percentage.

Wilson is no stranger to pitching under the bright lights of New York, as he had a one-year stint with the Yankees back in 2015 and had been with the Mets in 2019 and 2020. With the Yanks, he put up a 3.10 ERA with an even better 2.69 FIP six years ago.

The Yankees are looking for a consistent reliever

In 429 1/3 career frames, Wilson has a 3.27 ERA and a 3.34 FIP. He has been very consistent throughout his nine-year tenure in MLB, except for a couple of blips with his control every once in a while.

For what the Yankees currently need, which is an impact reliever or two, Wilson can fit right in both on the roster and in the budget. He should command around four or five million per year.

The Yankees, thankfully, have lots of options to fill their bullpen, as some names are available. Could they set up a reunion with Wilson, given the success the marriage had in 2015?

New York Yankees are almost set: 3 targets to top off then the bullpen, must read

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The New York Yankees have made some dramatic moves after being mostly silent during the first two months of the offseason. Last week they re-signed baseballs’ batting champ DJ LeMahieu to a six-year deal worth $90 million that gave DJ the security he wanted and at the same time saved the Yankees money annually. Once they had that deal on the books, they immediately signed Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. A few days later, they traded for the Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Jameson Taillon. The Yankees still have a few dollars left ($6+M); it is assumed their next improvement area will be the bullpen.

As it stands today, the New York Yankees have assembled one of the best baseball teams and arguably the best power lineup in the game. But by trading Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox and the loss of Tommy Kahnle, the Yankees have some holes to fill in the bullpen. Chad Green, Zack Britton, and Aroldis Chapman are the only reliable arms in the pen. Earlier in the offseason, they did bring back Adam Warren and Nestor Cortes Jr. They also have Luis Cessa, Ben Heller, and Jonathan Loaisiga, who can be lights out when they are on but tend to be inconsistent. The bottom line is that they need one or two versatile relief arms, although Nick Nelson could be a surprise in 2020.

Some of the big-name relievers have already signed with other teams. The biggest name out there is Brad Hand. Hand would be perfect for the Yankees, but he is likely not an option for the Yankees unless they want to go over the tax threshold with him signing with the Nats they won’t have to make that decision. Next in line are Liam Hendriks, Kirby Yates, and Archie Bradley, they have signed with other teams, Hindriks to the White Sox,  Yates to the Blue Jays, and Bradley to the Phillies. The Yankees would have to trade prospects to pry them away from their new teams. Not likely.

Nevertheless, there are still a huge number of unsigned free-agent relievers out there. Many don’t fit Yankee Stadium very well. Here are a few possible economical targets for the New York Yankees that make sense:

Justin Wilson:

If the Yankees want a sure thing that they know can pitch at Yankee Stadium, they could bring back old friend Justin Wilson. In 2015 Wilson pitched for the Yankees. He dominated out of the bullpen with a record of 3.10 ERA in 61 innings with a 2.69 FIP. He has a 3.27 ERA and a 3.34 FIP in his career, with almost 10 strikeouts per every nine frames. He is experienced, he is talented, and he can get both lefties and righties out.

In 2019, Wilson pitched well for the Mets (3.66 ERA, 3.04 FIP in 19.2 innings). Even at 33 years old, he remains a reliable reliever that shouldn’t cost more than $5 million per season and probably won’t require a long, multi-year commitment. During 2020 with the Mets, he was 2-1 in 23 games with an ERA of 3.66. He struck out one per inning.

Jake McGee:

Jake is a ten-year veteran reliever with five excellent years with the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was traded to the Colorado Rockies in 2016, and he basically fell apart. Apparently, the thin air at Coors Field that is nearly a mile above sea level didn’t agree with him. He went 4-11 with an ERA of 4.68 over four years.

In 2020 he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he was reborn. He was magnificent, going 3-1 with a tiny ERA of just 2.66 in 24 games, showing he apparently still has a lot in the tank. What makes this even more remarkable is that he did this in a season when many relievers didn’t have good years, and he did it in a high-pressure big market. However, he gave up a run in the NLCS and pitched a clean inning in the World Series.

Yusmeiro Petit:

Petit would bring an unusual arm to the New York Yankees bullpen; he is not a power pitcher like most Yankee pitchers. He is a command freak. His game is a mix of pitches and near-total command. Petit is the oldest of the group I am suggesting; he is 36 this year and in his 14th year in the majors. If the Yankees are looking for a strikeout king, Petit is not their man; he gets just over eight per nine innings.

Yusmeiro Petit is not a flame thrower; he is a true pitcher. He gets the job done with impressive command and a four-pitch arsenal, and his pinpoint command. In 2020, he relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (89mph) and Cutter (85mph), also mixing in a Change (82mph) and Curve (75mph). … His curve has little depth, results in somewhat more flyballs than many pitchers. He is a workhorse; in 2019, he pitched in 80 games. In 2020 he had a minuscule 1.66 ERA, lower than any Yankee reliever. That resulted in a 2-1 record in more than half of the season games. This boy still has much to give and although his name is not spelled the same it might remind you of a great Yankee pitcher.

All of these relievers could be had from $3.5 to just over $5 million; with moving Adam Ottavino off the payroll, the Yankees have the money to sign any of these relievers. If the Yankees do not sign Brett Gardner and general manager Cashman gets creative; he could sign two of these arms to put the bullpen in great shape. My choice would be McGee and Petit for just six million dollars.

The photo accompanying the article is of Yusmeiro Petit when he was with the Florida Marlins. EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

 

Nats had the upper Hand; Mets may pivot to familiar lefty now

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New York Yankees, Justin Wilson

The New York Mets missed out on the Brad Hand sweepstakes on Sunday, as the left-handed reliever, who the team coveted for months after the Cleveland Indians put him on outright waivers last year, decided to commit his immediate future to the Washington Nationals.

Presumably, Hand prioritized the chance to close games and re-build his value with an eye on the fall, as he will hit the market again after the 2021 season. The Mets, with Edwin Diaz on the roster, couldn’t promise saves to Hand, as good as he is.

The 30-year-old bullpen ace had a 2.05 ERA and a 1.37 FIP in 22.0 frames last season, with a phenomenal 33.7 K% and a minuscule 4.7 BB%. His fastball velocity, however, is trending in the wrong direction, and the Mets decided not to further pursue him given that the Nats secured him at a $10.5 million salary for 2021.

The Mets’ offer to hand was competitive

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman explained that the Mets offer to Brad Hand “was said to be right in the ballpark where Hand signed. Don’t know exactly what made the difference but he does live in the West Palm area, where Nats train.”

Now, the Mets can pivot to a familiar face in their search for a left-handed arm to fill out the bullpen. According to Heyman, they could now target Justin Wilson after swinging and missing on Hand.

“Mets may consider lefty Justin Wilson now. Wilson spent the last two years in Queens, and they like him. For now Mets are righty heavy in pen,” Heyman wrote.

Wilson, 33, has a career 3.27 ERA and a 3.34 FIP in 429 1/3 innings. He has been a good, reliable bullpen arm for years, and was great with the Mets in 2019 (2.54 ERA, 3.91 FIP) and 2020 (3.66 ERA, 3.04 FIP.)

Now that the pricey relievers are flying off the market, teams may now focus on arms like Wilson to fill out their bullpens.

New York Mets: What is Next After Missing Out On Brad Hand?

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On Sunday, the New York Mets surpsingly lost out on Brad Hand to the Washington Nationals on a one-year, $10.5 million deal. Hand joined the Nationals because he will serve as their closer, an opportunity he would not have received with the Mets. With Hand off the board, who is the lefty that will join the bullpen?

Hand would have made a tremendous addition in the Mets bullpen but would only set-up Edwin Diaz. If the Mets paid more than $10.5 million, they could have easily signed him. There is no point in offering closer money to use Hand before the ninth while other roster needs to be filled. Fans may complain about missing out, but the Mets did all they could to land him.

Three Good Left Handed Options

1. Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson is seen as plan-B for the Mets bullpen, and they know him very well. Despite little chatter surrounding Wilson, he is a very underrated part of a strong bullpen. Wilson had a 2.97 ERA, with 67 strikeouts over 58.2 innings during his two seasons with the Mets. He was a key part of the bullpen due to his ability to get righties and lefties out and sign for around $4 million-$5 million.

2. Aaron Loup

Aaron Loup made great work of his opportunity with the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2020 season. Loup had a 2.52 ERA in 24 games and had four scoreless appearances against the Houston Astros in the ALCS. He does not possess Wilson’s swing and miss stuff but was great at limiting walks (4 in 25 IP). Loup also produces plenty of ground balls with his heavy sinker. He would bring another great veteran presence to the bullpen.

3. Chasen Shreve

When the Mets non-tendered Chasen Shreve, it came as a huge surprise because of his solid 2020. Shreve emerged as a multiple innings reliever and had the best strikeouts rate of his career. His fastball/split-finger combination propelled him to a 12.2 K/9. Shreve’s 37.8% whiff rate also finished in the top four percent of all pitchers in baseball. He is much bigger of a risk because of his lesser track record, but it is worth considering. If partnered with Wilson again, the Mets could rekindle Shreve’s 2020 success.

 

New York Mets Among Final Three Teams in Brad Hand Sweepstakes

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Brad Hand is the left-handed piece the New York Mets need to solidify their bullpen, but he is not an easy sign. The Mets are also competing with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros to acquire the three-time All-Star’s talents.

There was a report of the Mets being close to a deal a couple of days ago, but it never came to fruition. This was the same situation when the Mets signed James McCann. Both sides were close to a deal, then it was not true, and in the end, McCann ended up signing with the Mets.

A legitimate argument could be made for Hand being a better reliever than Liam Hendriks. Hand will undeservingly receive less money and is a bargain for his elite level of production. If the difference between the Mets signing him is years, not money, they would be foolish to hold out on giving him his requests. The track record for Hand is excellent and stronger than Hendriks since 2016.

Hand is just as important of a signing as George Springer but easier to replace. Justin Wilson is a reliable replacement compared to Jackie Bradley Jr. or Kevin Pillar for center field. The second Hand signs with the Mets, they will have the best bullpen in baseball, and that is something the Mets have not been able to say in the history of their franchise.

Yankees News/Rumors: With three signings will the Yankee target bullpen help?

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New York Yankees, Justin Wilson

The New York Yankees are coming off a day when they dominated the baseball news with three important signings. First, they finally finalized a deal with DJ LeMahieu, which he accepted for a surprising six years at $90 million, which could lead him into retirement at age 38. Then they avoided arbitration by signing Yankee slugger Aaron Judge to a $10.175 million contract for 2021. They ended the day’s transactions by signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to an $11 million one year deal.

After an offseason that before yesterday that was stuck in the mud, with these signings, Yankee fans are thinking, what next? Will, the Yankees, go after Luis Costillo to further strengthen the starting rotation, or will they now target the bullpen that also needs help? There is a bevy of relief arms available in free agency. My guess is that the New York Yankees, now knowing what their finances look like, will bounce sooner than later. The Yankees have more flexibility now that they got both LeMahieu and Kluber for what they thought they might have to pay for LeMahieu alone.

Will the Yankees target bullpen help next?

The New York Yankees have questions in the once best in baseball bullpen. With the poor performance of Adam Ottavino in the past two seasons, he enters the final year of his contract, wondering if he can bounce back. Additionally, the Yankees are suffering from the loss of their number three man out of the bullpen, Tommy Kahnle, who signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There is still an abundance of arms to choose from. Brad Hand is one of the best arms out there, but it’s doubtful that the Yankees will spend for him.

Another choice that wouldn’t break the banks is another low-risk, high-reward arm like Corey Kluber. After having a poor season in 2020 due to injury, Kirby Yates surely dragged down his worth on the free-agent market. With incentives, the Yankees could probably land him for about $5 million. During 2019 he pitched 60.2 frames with a tiny ERA of 1.19.

The Yankees could also choose the safest route and bring back Justin Wilson, who dominated the 2015 Yankee bullpen. The Yankees could use a lefty out of the bullpen. In 2015, he posted a 3.10 ERA and a 2.69 FIP in 61.0 innings. In his career, he averages 10 strikeouts per nine and gets both lefties and righties out. Last year with the New York Mets, he was 2-1 with an ERA of 3.65 in 23 games.

Another lefty choice is Aaron Loup, he would give the Yankees a lefty reliever that they have been missing for years. It would provide an entirely different look in the mid-innings bullpen. With Blake Snell and Charlie Morton out of the Tampa Bay picture, why not capitalize by snatching Loup from re-signing with the Rays. After a regressive tenure in Toronto, Loup found his best stuff with the Rays in ’20, posting a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings. He’s yet to allow a postseason run in five appearances. He also wouldn’t break the Yankees bank either. Loup could cost the Yankees less than a million dollars on a one year contract.

There is no question the Yankees will look to improve the bullpen, but it’s a fool’s game to guess who they will choose with so many relief arms available. They have to date, they have added old friends Adam Warren and Nestor Cortes Jr., but they are not equal to the quality of Tommy Kahnle.

 

New York Mets Best Relief Pitching Options on the Free Agent Market

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New York Yankees, Justin Wilson

The New York Mets may not need extra bullpen help but the more,, the merrier. Like the starting pitching market, there is a clear-cut top guy in Liam Hendriks, but the Mets already have a dominant closer. What are the other strong, late-inning options for the Mets to bring in for the 2021 season?

1. Liam Hendriks 

Liam Hendriks is the best reliever in baseball over the last two seasons. In 99 games since 2019, he has a 1.79 ERA, 39 saves, and an astounding 13.1 K/9. Hendriks only allowed six home runs in that span of games and would undoubtedly make the Mets bullpen the best in baseball. He is well within the Mets budget, but Hendriks may not be as high on their list as George Springer or Trevor Bauer.

Adding Hendriks would create a three-headed monster with Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo. It allows the Mets to mix and match their bullpen, similarly to the Tampa Bay Rays. Pitchers are creatures of habit, but all three have shown versatility to pitch prior to the ninth inning.

2. Brad Hand

Moving to the bullpen was the greatest thing that ever happened to Brad Hand‘s career. Since 2016, Hand has a 2.70 ERA, 104 saves, and three All-Star appearances. Despite the Cleveland Indians attempt to save money, it was still a surprise for the team to waive him after the season.

The Mets bullpen is desperate for a left-handed reliever after Justin Wilson became a free agent and the Mets non-tendered Chasen Shreve. Hand would create a different breed of a three-headed monster in the bullpen with his ability to neutralize lefties. Left-handers have no success against Hand; they have hit well under .200 since Hand became a reliever. Hand would be the perfect neutralizer for NL East lefties Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, and Juan Soto.

3. Alex Colome

Alex Colome is a more likely right-handed option for the Mets. The 32-year old veteran only allowed two earned runs in 22.1 innings pitched. Colome is as close to Mariano Rivera 2.0 as anyone can get. He only features a cutter and 4-seam fastball, ditching everything else.

Versatility is the name of the game for relievers this offseason and Colome fits the mold. He has 138 career saves but is likely an eighth inning reliever with Lugo. The Mets have a lot of hard throwing, swing and miss relievers; Colome is a good change of pace in comparison. He is a master of inducing weak contact due to his tremendous cutter. Hitters had a 3.1% barrel rate in 2020.

4. Justin Wilson

The market is a lot quieter on Justin Wilson than it would have been last offseason. Wilson would agree 2020 was not his finest season but had a 3.66 ERA in 23 games. He fits perfectly into any role the Mets have and even lefty/righty splits in his career. Wilson was a big part of the Mets resurgence in 2019 and is an underrated part of their bullpen.

5. Keone Kela

Keone Kela comes with plenty of injury and personality baggage which is a huge risk in New York. His bad clubhouse reputation is well documented but partnering with the culture with the Mets could benefit him. The lights out stuff is proven with a career 3.27 ERA and 11 K/9 but he ranks low due to injuries and past suspension. Kela is primed for a one year deal with an option for a second due if the risk pays off.

 

New York Mets Player Evaluations: Pitcher Justin Wilson

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New York Yankees, Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson was an unsung member of the New York Mets bullpen during the 2019 season and could duplicate the same success in 2020. After stumbling out of the gates to begin the season, Wilson found his groove towards the end of August and carried it to a dominant September.

Wilson reclaimed his late-inning role in the bullpen but struggled to keep runners off base. Over his first 11 outings, he allowed 12 hits and seven runs, and the BABIP against him was .440. Wilson was another victim of a pitcher who needed a full spring camp to regain his dominance on the mound. What did him in were two outings where he allowed three runs. In the rest of those nine outings, he allowed a run once.

Hot and Cold

When Wilson struggled, he could not limit the scoring from becoming a crooked number. Wilson regained his bullpen success over his last 12 outings. Over 11 innings, Wilson allowed one earned run, struck out 15, and the BABIP against him fell to .231. The most telling outing of that stretch where the Mets desperately needed him to pitch on a third consecutive day. Wilson struggled with his control but managed to get the Mets out of a bases-loaded jam. At the time, it was a game the Mets needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Most of Wilson’s 2020 stats were within one of each other; these included his WHIP, H/9, BB/9, K/9, and HR/9. What hurt him was his inability to be a dual-threat to both sides of the plate. Lefties only hit .115 while righties hit .306, after hitting .232 in 2019.

Wilson’s cutter was a major weapon in 2019 (.197 AVG., .246 SLG.), but it was hit for a .364 average in 2020. The difference was a small, but key, one where Wilson was throwing them low but more were in the middle of the plate. Wilson pinpointed it in 2019, but the xBA only rose 16 points. Getting his location back will make it a dominant pitch again.

Bring Him Back

Overall, the ERA does not explain the season Wilson had. His exit velocity against was the lowest of his career, and his hard-hit rate was in the top 8% of the league. Wilson’s FIP (3.04), WAR (0.5), SIERA (3.92), and soft/hard-hit rate (26.4%/20.8%) were all better than they were in his great 2019 season. If the Mets can bring him back, it would be a no-brainer to give him another contract. If this were a full season, Wilson’s ERA would have balanced out to match the rest of his numbers.

2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)

4-Seam Fastball: 70 (70), On the brink of being a hard sinker, batters only hit .158 against the heat.

Cutter: 30 (65), Slightly struggled with location but will return to an effective pitch in 2021.

Slider: 50 (55), Only threw 12, but it is a pitch Wilson should use more often.

Sinker: 40 (N/A), 4-Seam Fastballs, which happened to have extra sink. Only five were thrown, and one resulted in Michael Conforto’s leaping catch.

Command: 50 (55), BB/9 has progressively improved over the last three seasons.

Overall: 55 (65), Hope to see him back in blue and orange for 2020.

New York Mets: Four Run Ninth Inning Catapults 10-6 Win

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The final game of the series for the New York Mets against the Philadelphia Phillies was all about surviving and advancing to the next game. Their starting pitcher did not make it out of the second inning, seven combined runs were scored in the first inning, and two pitchers had to throw on their third consecutive day. Despite all of it, the Mets lived to steal a 10-6 victory from the Phillies.

The Mets immediately got a lead for Seth Lugo in the first inning. Dominic Smith‘s RBI double followed by Robinson Cano‘s two-run single gave the Mets an early 3-0 lead. After Lugo struck out the first batter he faced, it was clear he had nothing on the mound.

He allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs to give back the lead as quickly as the Mets got it. After allowing a Jean Segura triple, Adam Haseley drove him in to give the Phillies a 4-3 first-inning lead. Lugo allowed another two runs in the second inning and had to be replaced with Erasmo Ramirez.

Uphill Battle

The Mets bullpen gave them everything they needed and more for the second straight night. Ramirez started with 2.1 shutout innings, Chasen Shreve followed with another 2.1 scoreless innings. During that period, a Pete Alonso solo homer and Brandon Nimmo‘s two-run triple got the Mets even with the Phillies in the sixth.

After Jeurys Familia got through the seventh, he ran into trouble in the eighth. Justin Wilson came in for a third straight game an showed the ill-effects of all the work. Wilson could not locate anything and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases. Luckily he found the strike zone on one pitch to get Didi Gregorius to pop out and survive the eighth.

The Mets offense came alive in the ninth inning. Nimmo led off the ninth with a home run, Smith had an RBI triple, and Cano capped it off with a two-run home run. Things did not come easy for Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth. He was also in for the third straight day but worked around three walks, getting the Mets a big win.

On Friday, the Mets begin a three-game weekend series against the Atlanta Braves. Steven Matz makes his return to the rotation and faces Cy Young candidate Max Fried. The first pitch from Citi Field is at 7:10 p.m. ET.

New York Mets: Bullpen Takes deGrom’s Win in Weird 5-4 Victory

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets needed length out of Jacob deGrom after getting abbreviated starts during their doubleheader loss on Tuesday. deGrom gave them that and much more in his first start in almost a week. He tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts, but a bullpen implosion in the eighth inning prevented him from his third win of the season.

Luckily Wilson Ramos, who was hitting .100 w/RISP, came through to give the Mets the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Brad Brach went nine days without pitching but stayed tough to lock down the Mets victory over the Miami Marlins, 5-4.

The bullpen implosion started in the eighth inning when Justin Wilson allowed three singles to load the bases. He gave way to Edwin Diaz, who gave up a 107-mph single that J.D. Davis could not secure, followed by back to back walks to tie the game.

Diaz left the game with an apparent injury before the game-tying walk, leaving Brach a 2-1 count. Brach finished the at-bat with a walk before getting the game to the ninth inning. He needed help from Jeff McNeil‘s foot to prevent Jonathan Villar from stealing second base to get through the inning.

Clutch Hitting

The Mets were as dreadful on offense as any team could be on Tuesday. They put together a much-improved showing with a 2-for-9 output w/RISP and left seven on base. There was a much more concerted effort to hit the ball to the opposite field, and it was precisely what Wilson Ramos did to give the Mets the lead run.

Robinson Cano helped lead the way with three hits, moving his batting average to .382. Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo also added home runs, both their fifth of the year, as well.

Dominant deGrom

deGrom pitched as well as any pitcher can without recording a no-hitter. The two Marlins hits he allowed were light, and his fastball sat in the 99-100 mph range. It was undoubtedly his best outing of the season and showed what a couple of extra days of rest does for him.

Should the Mets choose not to join other professional sports teams in protest on Thursday, they finish their series with the Marlins. They currently have not named a starter yet, but face rookie Sixto Sanchez at 7:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field.