Erik Goeddel awaits a shot in the big leagues in 2017

Although the Mets came into spring training and will go into the regular season with uncertainty in the last few spots of their bullpen, Erik Goeddel never really seemed to have a shot at making the team’s Opening Day roster.

Optioned to minor league camp over a week ago, Goeddel had a 9.95 ERA in 6.1 innings of spring training play. Conclusions shouldn’t be drawn from spring training stats, but to the extent that they can sway roster decision, Goeddel didn’t do himself any favors.

Having made his debut with a handful of innings pitched for the Mets late in the 2014 season, Goeddel excelled in 33.1 innings with the team in 2015. He finished that season with a 2.43 ERA and 2.47 FIP, but as has often been the case for him, he spent part of the year on the shelf because of injury. And last year, he threw 35.2 innings for the team, but he didn’t fare nearly as well, with a 4.54 ERA and a 4.21 FIP.

It’s tough to make a strong case that Goeddel should have made the Mets’ bullpen over some of the other pitchers who have fought for that spot. If he could put up numbers like he did in 2015, he’d obviously be a good fit. But if his true talent is closer to what he did in 2016—or even just his 3.45 ERA and 3.35 FIP in his major league carer—it wouldn’t be quite as much of a sure thing. Given the way baseball seasons go, Goeddel is almost certainly going to pitch for the Mets at some point, assuming that he himself is healthy in the event that the major league team has a need.