clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

LaTroy Hawkins makes major league bullpen

Adam Rubin is reporting that LaTroy Hawkins has been told he will be in the Mets Opening Day bullpen.

LaTroy Hawkins has plenty of reasons to smile today.
LaTroy Hawkins has plenty of reasons to smile today.
The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

Today was the deadline for veteran non-roster invitees to be told whether or not they will make the major league squad. Earlier this morning we learned that Pedro Feliciano would not make the major league bullpen, but Adam Rubin is reporting that LaTroy Hawkins will break camp with the Mets and head north. Despite a strong Spring from Greg Burke and Jeurys Familia, both of whom are on the Mets' 40-man roster, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Hawkins would make the team. The Mets will have to add Hawkins to the 40-man roster, which currently stands at 39 players after infielder Brandon Hicks was outrighted yesterday.

The 40-year-old right-hander has pitched five and two-thirds innings thus far this spring. He has yet to allow a run, but it's worth noting that the level of competition he's faced has been closer to AAA-quality than major-league-quality. Hawkins threw 42 innings for the Angels last year, posting a 3.64 ERA. The advanced metrics didn't like him as much due to his meager 12.9 K%, and by fWAR he was actually slightly below replacement level in 2012.

Coupled with Rubin's report that the Mets will carry two lefties in the pen, this news gives us a pretty good idea what the 2013 Mets bullpen will look like. Parnell, Lyon, Atchison, Hawkins, Edgin, and Carson seem to be the locks, with a spot available for either Jeurys Familia or Greg Burke, at least until Frank Francisco is ready to rejoin the major league team.