Mets sign reliever Adam Ottavino to one-year deal
Yankees pitcher Adam Ottavino throwing in the bullpen during spring training in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 11, 2020. Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Adam Ottavino’s tour of the five boroughs is making a stop in Queens.
The Mets and Ottavino, who was born in Manhattan, grew up in Brooklyn and played for the Yankees in the Bronx, agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract Sunday, a source said. Ottavino, who joined a bullpen core of veteran righthanders, can earn an additional $1 million in incentives.
Ottavino, 36, joins closer Edwin Diaz, Trevor May, Seth Lugo and Miguel Castro as key relievers. Each is scheduled to be a free agent next offseason.
Once among the more dominant relievers in the majors, Ottavino has regressed in recent seasons, posting a 4.21 ERA with the Red Sox in 2021 and a 5.89 ERA with the Yankees in 2020.
But he has remained durable, averaging more than 72 games in the past three full seasons. Only Andrew Chafin and Yusmeiro Petit top Ottavino’s 304 games since the start of 2017.
"On my depth chart in my office right now, there’s a blank where it says righthanded reliever," general manager Billy Eppler said, declining to comment on Ottavino because the deal was not official. "If we can locate a talented righthanded reliever, I would definitely welcome it."
The Mets still could use at least one lefthanded reliever, though Eppler’s public stance is that they don’t need to sign one. He cited Alex Claudio, who is in camp on a minor-league deal after struggling with the Angels last year, as an option.
"He’ll get a long look in camp," Eppler said, later adding of the process generally: "I’d really like to be in the assessment process right now. There’s a lot of things written down on paper, but now it’s time to bring it to life. That’s what I’m really looking forward to."
Free-agent lefthanded options include Brad Hand, who was solid in his end-of-2021 cameo with the Mets, plus Chafin and Tony Watson.
