Mets re-sign Jerry Blevins to one year deal

On Friday afternoon, the Mets reportedly came to an agreement with pitcher Jerry Blevins on a one year contract. The deal will be worth $6 million and includes a 2018 club option. New York had been connected to the veteran southpaw all off-season, and were at one point willing to give him a two year deal. Upon signing Blevins, the team had made two prior moves that day: bringing in left-hander Tom Gorzelanny and reuniting with Fernando Salas.

Blevins will suit up for his third season in the Big Apple

Blevins was acquired by the Mets back in March 2015 in exchange for outfielder Matt den Dekker. He managed to appear in just seven games during the 2015 year as a result of two major shoulder injuries, but redeemed himself in 2016. This past season, Blevins pitched to a 2.79 ERA in 72 outings while sporting a 3.2 BB/9 and 11.1 SO/9 ratio. 

Serving as the Mets' left-handed specialist, the 33-year old surprisingly fared much better against right-handed batters, as they hit a minuscule .182/.266/.345 in 65 plate appearances. Left-handed hitters went .255/.313/.324 in 113 plate appearances, and that certainly does raise some cause for concern. Nevertheless, Blevins proved that he was capable of handling situational outings as well as full inning workloads.

In a recent article, we took a look at Blevins' numbers in comparison to the other left-handed relievers on the roster. In his career, he has held lefties to a .214 average, so the Mets will hope that 2016 was a fluke for Blevins. 

While the Mets did not absolutely need to make this move, it shows the fan-base that the team is determined to beef up the bullpen as much as possible. Blevins should get the first crack at the left-handed specialist position, but he does have Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker, and Tom Gorzelany behind him on the depth chart if needed. 

As someone who has made a maximum of $4 million in a single season, Blevins is receiving a considerable salary boost here. However, I applaud Sandy Alderson for waiting the market out and talking the veteran down as much as possible.