Billy Wagner is among, if not the best closer the Mets have ever had. Fans may like to focus on his worst moments, having a hard time trying to remove them, as human nature has a harder time forgetting moments of great pain than those of success. Given Ted Berg of SNY’s report that Wagner will miss the rest of this season and likely most of next, where do the Mets go from here.
In the short term Luis Ayala seems to have had the most success when given the opportunity to assume the role of closer. Ayala is 5 for 6 in save opportunities with a 2.70 ERA in 10 appearances for the Mets. Those 5 saves however make up almost 1/3 of his entire saves over his career.
The Mets are placing a pretty sizable wager on their postseason hopes and dreams on a pitcher with very little experience closing ball games. The problem is, they really don’t have much of a choice. The alternatives don’t include anyone who has much more experience closing games either, and the others haven’t been nearly as successful as Ayala trying to play the part.
Long term, the Mets have K-Rod looming on the horizon. Francisco Rodriguez is a free agent at the end of this season, and leads the American League with 55 saves this season for the Los Angeles Angels to go along with his 70 strikeouts and sparkling 2.49 ERA.
Rodriguez is likely to command a 4-year deal, in the neighborhood of 15 million per year. A pretty pricey deal, but with closers such a rare commodity in baseball, that might be a conservative estimate. Will the Mets take the bait or will they instead look internally at a unproven prospect like Eddie Kunz? Could John Maine’s future be as a closer, as he seems to tire past the 5th inning?
The future of the Mets closing position is uncertain but one thing is for sure. Luis Ayala better learn how to deal with the pressure cooker of a pennant race in New York City. The learning curve is short and the finals are about to begin.
