Mets Have Front-Runner To Grab One Of Last Two Open Bullpen Spots

The New York Mets have a number of spots locked up in their bullpen heading into the regular season, but there are still two openings that are up for grabs.

The competition is heavy for the final two spots, as the Mets brought in a significant amount of veterans this offseason to round out their 'pen.

One name, according to Mark Sanchez of The New York Post, who is the "front-runner" to crack the Mets' bullpen is veteran right-hander Michael Tonkin.

Tonkin signed a split contract with the Mets in the offseason and is on their 40-man roster, which gives him a leg up to make the major league team out of spring training.

Tonkin, 34, spent last season with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves, posting a 4.28 ERA across 80 innings. He is also an innings-eater, who can serve as a long man, which is valuable and a role the Mets could use.

Prior to last year, Tonkin had not appeared in the majors since 2017. But once he finally made it back to the show, the righty was solid in a bullpen that helped the Braves capture their sixth straight NL East division title.

Should Tonkin make the team, he will join a bullpen that features elite closer Edwin Diaz, Jake Diekman, Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley, Jorge Lopez and Drew Smith.

Beyond Tonkin, the Mets have several intriguing options to claim the final relief job: Austin Adams, Phil Bickford, Shintaro Fujinami, Reed Garrett, Grant Hartwig, Nate Lavender, Yohan Ramirez, Sean Reid-Foley, Yacksel Rios, Chad Smith, Cole Sulser and Josh Walker.

Bickford, Ramírez and Reid-Foley have a bit of an advantage because they are on the 40-man roster and are out of options, meaning the Mets could lose them on waivers if they do not keep them. 

If the Mets do wind up adding Tonkin to the big-league roster, they will only be able to keep one of: Bickford, Ramirez and Reid-Foley. Tonkin would also assume the role of being the long man, negating Reid-Foley's purpose and skillset based off how he has been used in his career. 

This means it could come down to Bickford and Ramirez. Bickford posted a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 inning after the Mets acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ramirez posted a 3.67 ERA in 34.1 innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates before heading to the Chicago White Sox, where he struggled in a brief stint.

The Mets could also decide to give a reliever with minor league options a shot, depending on who stands out in the remainder of camp.

Tonkin will likely land a roster spot in the Mets' bullpen, but as far as who gets the final job is anyone's guess.