Mets improve bullpen with Tyler Clippard, transfer Erik Goeddel to 60-day disabled list

The Mets made another trade this evening, this time acquiring right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Clippard for right-handed pitching prospect Casey Meisner. To make room for Clippard on their 40-man roster, the team shifted fellow right-handed relief pitcher Erik Goeddel from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

That's part of the roster manipulation that has to occur. The Mets will also have to remove someone from the active roster to make room for the 30-year-old. The team is carrying twelve pitchers at the moment: five starters and seven relievers. That gives them a standard five-player bench, but they have gone to a four-player bench at times earlier this year while carrying either six starting pitchers or eight relief pitchers. Barring any unexpected trades from the active roster, that leaves a couple of candidates who could go to make room for Clippard.

If the Mets stick with a five-player bench, they could cut someone from the current bullpen. Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, and Bobby Parnell are obviously not going to be cut. Sean Gilmartin has been effective this year and is a Rule 5 pick who the Mets would have to put through waivers and offer back to the Twins before sending him to the minors. He's a pretty safe bet to stay, too. That leaves three relief pitchers who could go: Alex Torres, Carlos Torres, and Hansel Robles. Here's a quick comparison of their stats this year with the Mets. Logan Verrett is also on the major league roster at the moment, though he appears to just be with the team until Jon Niese returns from paternity leave.

Of the three, only Robles has options remaining. Both Carlos and Alex Torres would have to be put through waivers in order to be sent to the minors. While Alex Torres has the lowest ERA of the three to date, his peripherals are by far the worst, thanks to an incredibly high walk rate. He's the guy most Mets fans would want to see go, you'd think.

If the Mets want to go back to an eight-man bullpen, they have a couple of position players who have generally struggled and could be sent to the minors. Eric Campbell hasn't hit well in the majors and has options, and Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson combined can cover all of the positions he can play. Wilmer Flores has struggled at the plate, especially lately, but he is out of options. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is out of options, too, which was part of the reason he wound up playing for the Angels for a couple of weeks earlier this year when the Mets designated him for assignment and traded him there.