PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Mets on Sunday informed reliever Craig Kimbrel that he will not make their Opening Day roster, though it remains unclear if the likely future Hall of Famer will remain in the organization.
Kimbrel, 37, had an uneven spring, allowing three runs in six innings with five walks, two hit batsmen and five strikeouts. His fastball velocity, which flashed triple digits during his prime years, sat around 93 mph throughout Grapefruit League play.
Should Kimbrel decide to remain in the organization, he could report to Triple-A Syracuse with a chance to help the Mets later this season. If not, a source said the team would consider releasing him from the Minor League deal he signed this winter, even though it would not be contractually obligated to do so. The move would account to a measure of respect for Kimbrel, who could then seek other Major League opportunities -- if any exist.
"He's a total pro ... well on his way to what is going to be a Hall of Fame career," manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. "It's not easy to deliver news to a guy like that. But for him to still consider staying with the team, it goes to show you what we're building here, who those guys are in that clubhouse and who he is as well. We've now got to wait."
Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star with 440 career saves, which ranks fifth all-time and second among active players behind Kenley Jansen.
With Kimbrel out of the picture, left-handers Bryan Hudson and Richard Lovelady are the remaining candidates to win the Mets’ last bullpen spot. But Hudson has struggled this spring, allowing six earned runs over 3 1/3 innings, while Lovelady just arrived on the scene following a waiver claim last week. Mets officials have been open in saying they intend to continue scouring the waiver wire for potential help in the days leading up to Opening Day.
The team’s seven bullpen locks are Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Luis García, Tobias Myers, Huascar Brazobán and Sean Manaea, the latter of whom will begin the season as a reliever before potentially moving back to the rotation in mid-April.