The New York Mets announced Tuesday they re-signed relief pitcher Jerry Blevins to a one-year contract.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reported Blevins’ fresh deal is worth $4 million with another $1 million in incentives. The 32-year-old southpaw went with a holiday theme to celebrate his renewed stay in the Big Apple:
Blevins appeared in only seven games this past season because of a distal radius bone fracture he suffered when he was struck by a line drive on April 19 against the Miami Marlins. He unfortunately fractured the arm again when he slipped on a curb in August.
After a lackluster 2014 campaign with the Washington Nationals, Blevins started this year hot with five perfect innings until the fateful comebacker put his career on hold.
ESPN Stats & Info’s Mark Simon alluded to one probable reason taken into consideration as to why Blevins ultimately wound up staying put:
The Mets have such tremendous starting pitching with a staff featuring Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. If they’re meant to return to the World Series in 2016, a strong bullpen will be necessary to complement the trove of top-tier dealers.
With Blevins returning to action after a lengthy injury-imposed hiatus along with fellow left-handed reliever Josh Edgin, as Rubin alluded to, New York should be in good hands when its starters leave the mound.
Given his success against left-handed hitters, it makes sense the Mets invested a considerable amount of money in Blevins despite his abbreviated stint with the team to date.
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