Reed Thrilled To Be With Mets, Ready To Solidify Bullpen Bridge To Familia
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With their starting pitching among the best in baseball and their once-inept lineup now seemingly more representative of what a pennant contender should boast, the Mets have the look of a team that could do some damage come October.
They just need their bullpen to hold together.
The addition of Addison Reed should help, and he seems genuinely excited for the opportunity, despite the fact that he was thrust into his new situation totally blind.
"To be 100 percent honest with you, I've never followed the Mets or even paid attention to them up until about 30 hours ago," Reed told the NY Post prior to New York's 3-1 win over Philadelphia at Citi Field on Monday. "Obviously with (television), you know what they're doing this year and that there's something special going on here. I'm glad I could be a part."
Acquired Sunday for a pair of minor leaguers, Reed stands to make a significant impact down the stretch as the Mets (73-58) attempt to win their first NL East title since 2006. They entered play Tuesday with a 6 1/2-game lead over second-place Washington.
One of the keys to New York getting back to the playoffs for the first time since its run to Game 7 of the NLCS nine years ago will be the back end of the bullpen. The situation has been a work in progress all season, with the Mets using a revolving door of set-up men prior to the non-waiver trade deadline deal for former All-Star Tyler Clippard.
The veteran right-hander has been a revelation, pitching to an incredible 0.51 ERA in 18 appearances, spanning 17 2/3 innings.
Reed figures to take some of the pressure off both Clippard and Bobby Parnell, who was expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to Tuesday's game, with the goal being to get the ball to closer Jeurys Familia, who has 36 saves and a 1.78 ERA.
Reed, a 26-year-old hard-throwing right-hander, struggled early this season for Arizona, but corrected his mechanics during a stint in the minors. So much so, that he put up a 1.35 ERA in 11 appearances, spanning 13 1/3 innings, for the Diamondbacks in August.
Now he'll likely be asked to lock down the seventh inning for his new club.
"We're hoping he's that guy that can get us to the eighth inning," Mets manager Terry Collins told the Post. "His numbers against lefties have been pretty good. … The situation in the game will dictate how he's going to fit, how we're going to use him. Now having another quality reliever at the back end of that pen, if someone needs a day off, we've got two (current) guys that have closed in the big leagues and had success doing it. It certainly gives us a very, very good backup plan."
Arbitration eligible after the season, Reed is 11-15 with a 4.20 ERA during his five-year career.
