The New York Mets and free agent left-handed pitcher, Justin Wilson, agree on a two-year deal that’ll add depth to the staff.
Brodie Van Wagenen continues his no-nonsense approach to rebuilding the bullpen.
On Friday, veteran free agent Justin Wilson and the New York Mets agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract, according to multiple sources including ESPN as first reported by The Athletic.
Wilson, 31, is a left-handed veteran who’s enjoyed success throughout a workmanlike seven-year big-league career. In 412 career games and 370.2 innings pitched, Wilson’s pitched to a 26-19 record to go along with 3.33 ERA, 1.268 WHIP, and 407 strikeouts.
Wilson finished 4-5 with a 3.46 ERA, 1.427 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 54.2 innings pitched over 71 appearances with the Chicago Cubs last season.
He started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012 prior to a one-year stint with the New York Yankees. After a solo campaign with the Detroit Tigers, he landed with the Cubbies in the middle of the 2017 season.
Wilson’s lefty arm possesses a middle-to-upper-90s fastball that tends to give lefty batters fits. In addition to the four-seamer, he throws a cutter (average 92 m.p.h), slider, and curve (which he rarely uses these days).
Wilson joins a solid bullpen that’s enjoyed a firm overhaul this hot stove season.
- Closer: Edwin Diaz (R)
- Setup: Jeurys Familia (R)
- Setup: Seth Lugo (R)
- Middle: Justin Wilson (L)
- Middle: Robert Gsellman (R)
Tyler Bashlor (R), Drew Smith (R), Daniel Zamora (L), Corey Oswalt (R), Tim Peterson (R), Drew Gagnon (R), Paul Sewald (R), and Jacob Rhame (R) are the other names in the mix. As you can obviously and painfully witness, the lefty arm of Wilson was a desperate need.
In addition to his $10 million over two years, Justin Wilson is eligible for $500,000 in performance bonuses each season.
