Dellin Betances Joins the Mets on a One-Year Deal

If he has indeed recovered from that injury, Betances could help boost a Mets bullpen that underperformed last season with Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia falling short of expectations.

Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen hinted earlier this month, after signing starters Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, that the team might be done adding to the bullpen. But the team found some extra spending money after restructuring outfielder Yoenis Cespedes’s contract because of his ankle injury suffered in apparent violation of his contract.

“Dellin is one of the elite relievers in the game with an incredible track record of pitching on the biggest stage and in playoff games,” Van Wagenen said in a statement. “This is a tremendously exciting gift for Mets fans this holiday season in our championship pursuit.”

Betances is reunited with his former Yankees teammate, Carlos Beltran, who was named the Mets’ new manager this winter. The Yankees stayed in touch with Betances’s agent, Jim Murray, this off-season, but they still have a well-stocked bullpen, with Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle all under team control for at least two more seasons.

The Yankees have still sought to upgrade their bullpen, asking the Milwaukee Brewers about two-time All-Star Josh Hader. But prying away Hader, who is under four more years of team control, would most likely take a sizable trade offer.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/sports/baseball/dellin-betances-mets.html?emc=rss&partner=rss