Mets sign A.J. Griffin to bolster pitching staff

The New York Mets staff is talented, but they need to supplement security arms around them.

The New York Mets have one of the best starting rotations in the National League if healthy. Pitchers Noah Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom, and Matt Harvey are their big dogs without injuries, promise that went unfulfilled a year ago. Those issues derailed the club’s seasons in 2017, as they had countless players on the DL.

Now, the Mets have added to their lineup with the free-agent signing of Jay Bruce, and have signed southpaw Jason Vargas to boost the rotation. Now, New York has inked right-hander A.J. Griffin to a minor league deal.

Griffin didn’t have a pretty ERA last year, but pitching in Queens may help lower that as well as throwing in the NL. He is a solid insurance policy in case one of their top pitchers go down. New York has addressed their need to supplement their starting staff with depth. That will go a long way down the stretch and the dog days of summer.

The righty’s best season was in 2013, where he tossed a 3.83 ERA in 200 innings for the Oakland Athletics. He was never the same after that, as Griffin has had several injuries. Although now that he is back to full health and a fresh start, the righty could rebound. That is what the Mets are thinking, and Griffin can be utilized out of the bullpen. A long reliever type of pitcher is what will most likely happen.

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Overall, this is a shrewd signing for a team that is in need of depth around Syndergaard, DeGrom, etc. In the long run, the Mets added a backup plan for their established starters. New York has tough competition in the Washington Nationals, so any addition to the pitching department is a plus.