Ottavino is not part of New York's roster for the National League Championship series against the Dodgers.
Ottavino had a rough regular season by his standards, posting a 4.34 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 60 appearances. He saw few high-leverage opportunities in the second half of the campaign and notched just one hold over his final 20 games. Ottavino's omission from the NLCS roster makes room for the return of Jeff McNeil (wrist), who was added to the roster after ending the regular season on the injured list.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Losing high-leverage work
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Ottavino has posted a 4.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 47:13 K:BB through 35 innings with one win, one save and 13 holds in 36 appearances.
The Mets' bullpen issues early in the season caused manager Carlos Mendoza to lean heavily on Ottavino, but the workload appears to have caught up with the 38-year-old righty. While his 30.7 percent strikeout rate is among the better marks in his career, Ottavino's 42.4 percent groundball rate is his lowest since he was pitching for the Rockies in 2017. He's also recorded only one of his 13 holds over the last month, as younger relief arms like Dedniel Nunez and Reed Garrett (elbow) have moved into high-leverage roles. If the Mets add further bullpen reinforcements ahead of the trade deadline, Ottavino's usage as a setup man for Edwin Diaz could decline even further.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Racks up hold No. 10
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Ottavino struck out two in a perfect eighth inning Sunday to record his 10th hold of the season in a loss to the Diamondbacks.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza deployed Reed Garrett in the seventh inning and Ottavino in the eighth to protect a 4-3 lead to great effect, but Jake Diekman then blew the save in the ninth. The pecking order for saves in the absence of Edwin Diaz (shoulder) remains murky, but all three pitchers could see chances depending on the matchups. Ottavino hasn't made much of a case to claim the full-time closer gig -- since the beginning of May, he's stumbled to an 8.49 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB through 11.2 innings.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Rocked in Wednesday's loss
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Ottavino (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Dodgers, coughing up four runs on three hits and a walk in one-third of an inning. He struck out one.
The veteran right-hander melted down in a disastrous eighth inning for the Mets, serving up a solo shot to Will Smith to lead off the frame and watching the two runners he left on base when he exited the mound come around to score. Ottavino has a brutal 9.28 ERA and 2.16 WHIP over 10.2 innings in May, and even with Edwin Diaz (shoulder) now on the IL, his spot in the team's high-leverage mix seems very shaky.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Blows second save
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Ottavino blew his second save of the season in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers, giving up a run on three hits in the ninth inning while striking out one.
Called upon to protect a 2-1 lead, Ottavino instead gave up three straight singles to begin the frame, although the third one came on a safety squeeze by Chris Taylor that the right-hander couldn't field cleanly. Ottavino hasn't been able to take advantage of Edwin Diaz's recent struggles, and he's stumbled to a 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over his last 10 appearances. The back of the Mets' bullpen is a mess right now, and it's not clear who manager Carlos Mendoza might turn to the next time the team has a late lead.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Option for saves
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Ottavino should be in the mix for save opportunities going forward after manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that closer Edwin Diaz will shift to a "fluid" role, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.
Diaz had a strong start to the season after missing all of 2023 with a torn patellar tendon, but his confidence is off after a period where he's given up seven runs in his past three outings. Ottavino has a 2.95 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 26:6 K:BB across 18.1 innings this season and has recorded eight holds and a save in a setup role. Reed Garrett should also be in the mix for the ninth inning until Diaz rediscovers his form.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Picks up shaky save
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Ottavino got the save in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Cardinals, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out two in the ninth.
Ottavino was called upon to close the game out after Edwin Diaz had pitched back-to-back days Sunday and Monday. The right-hander surrendered a one-out home run to Lars Nootbaar and then allowed the next two batters to reach, but ultimately got himself out of trouble by striking out Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson to end the game. Ottavino has now given up three runs over his last 2.2 innings and is due for some rest having pitched three of the last four days. He now owns a 3.14 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB in 14.1 innings.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Collects win Monday
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Ottavino (1-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth inning Monday to record a win over the Pirates.
The veteran right-hander fired 11 pitches (nine strikes) while shutting down the heart of Pittsburgh's order and preserving a 3-3 tie, and the Mets broke the game open in the bottom half of the inning. Ottavino has had an impressive start to the season, racking up a 12:0 K:BB through seven innings with a 2.57 ERA and 0.57 WHIP, and he has two holds in addition to Monday's win as one of Edwin Diaz's primary setup men.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Poised for setup role
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Ottavino has allowed one run this spring over four appearances with a 4:4 K:BB.
The 38-year-old right-hander re-signed with the Mets in January and should be one of the team's top setup men in front of closer Edwin Diaz. Ottavino helped cover for Diaz's absence last year and recorded a career-high 12 saves along with 12 holds, but he has six career seasons with 20-plus holds and should return to that level in 2024.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Re-signs with Mets
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Ottavino signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Mets on Saturday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Ottavino declined his player option worth $6.75 million earlier in the season, and the fact $4 million of that salary would have been deferred likely played a part in that decision. He'll now stick with the Mets on a cheaper deal and likely reprise his role as a high-leverage reliever. The 38-year-old righty logged a 3.21 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 62 strikeouts in 61.2 innings last season while collecting a career-best 12 saves. Less ninth-inning work is likely in 2024 with closer Edwin Diaz back and healthy, however.
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Adam Ottavino: Free agent after declining option
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Ottavino declined his $6.75 million player option for 2024 on Monday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Previous reports had indicated that Ottavino was expected to exercise the option to remain with the Mets, but he's ultimately decided against the move. It's worth noting that $4 million of the $6.75 million salary he would have been due in 2024 would have been deferred, which could have weighed into his decision. Ottavino will now be on the lookout for a new deal after posting a 3.21 ERA and 62:29 K:BB over 61.2 innings in 2023.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: New career high in saves
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Ottavino recorded his 12th save of the season in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Phillies, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning of a 4-3 win. He struck out one.
The veteran right-hander nearly blew the save, walking J.T. Realmuto to lead off the ninth and watching rookie Weston Wilson steal two bags after his one-out RBI single brought the Phillies to within a run, but Ottavino was able to retire Jake Cave and Cristian Pache to end the rally. The 12 saves are a career high for the 37-year-old, and he's gone a perfect 5-for-5 on save chances in September while posting a 4.15 ERA and 15:5 K:BB through 8.2 innings.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Secures save Monday
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Ottavino struck out two batters in a perfect inning and earned a save over Miami on Monday.
Ottavino needed just 12 pitches to quickly close out the 2-1 win Monday. He has 10 strikeouts during his current 5.2-inning scoreless streak, picking up four saves during that span. Ottavino has converted 11 of his 14 save chances while registering a 2.87 ERA through 59.2 innings.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Nails down save No. 10
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Ottavino struck out one over 1.2 perfect innings Tuesday to record his 10th save of the season in a 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.
Entering the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, Ottavino got Corbin Carroll to ground into a double play to escape the jam, then breezed through the heart of the Arizona order in the ninth. The veteran righty has the Mets' last three saves, with Drew Smith being the last pitcher other than Ottavino to collect one back on Sept. 1, and barring a late-season cameo from Edwin Diaz (knee), he'll likely remain the team's closer the rest of the way.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Escapes with save
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Ottavino allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning Sunday, striking out two and earning a save over the Twins.
Ottavino put two runners on with one out but danced around the threat to finish off the 2-0 win Sunday. He's given up just one run over his last 10 innings, dropping his season ERA to 3.05 through 60 appearances. He's converted nine of his 12 save chances, including three of his last four.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Nabs eighth save
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Ottavino picked up the save Sunday against the Mariners. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over a scoreless inning.
Though Ottavino held the Mariners off the board in the ninth, he allowed a hit and a walk in the inning. The save was Ottavino's first since Aug. 13 and just his eighth on the season. Over his last nine appearances, Ottavino owns a 1.00 ERA and a 10:4 K:BB.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Charged with blown save
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Ottavino was tagged with a blown save against the Rangers on Wednesday, allowing one hit and one walk over one scoreless inning.
The Mets led by a run heading into the eighth, and the plan appeared to be to have Brooks Raley serve as a bridge to Ottavino. That plan imploded when Raley allowed three straight baserunners to start the frame, which led to Ottavino being summoned with no outs and the bases loaded. The veteran right-hander hit the first batter he faced to force in the tying run and allowed an RBI single to Jonah Heim but otherwise kept the damage to a minimum. Both runs that crossed the plate while Ottavino was on the mound were charged to Raley, but it the former who had a blown save pasted on his ledger. Still, the outing extended Ottavino's scoreless stretch to seven straight appearances, during which he's allowed just one hit while posting a 5:3 K:BB.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Nets first win
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Ottavino (1-4) picked up the win in Sunday's victory over the Angels, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
After dispatching the Halos' 5-6-7 hitters on 15 pitches (nine strikes) in the top of the ninth to preserve a 2-2 tie, Ottavino was rewarded when Rafael Ortega delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the frame. Ottavino has only one save in August following the trade of David Robertson, but that's more due to a lack of opportunity rather than poor performance -- the veteran righty has a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through nine innings on the month, albeit with a lackluster 7:5 K:BB.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Notches seventh save
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Ottavino threw a perfect inning to earn a save over Atlanta on Sunday.
Ottavino needed just eight pitches to force three groundouts and finish off the 7-6 win. It was his first save chance since Aug. 1 and his first conversion since July 1. He's recorded seven saves in nine chances while registering a 3.45 ERA through 47 innings. Brooks Raley picked up a hold in the eighth inning.
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Mets' Adam Ottavino: Mets won't name closer
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Mets manager Buck Showalter said Friday that he won't name a closer following the trade of David Robertson, with Ottavino and other options "on the table," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
"All options are on the table... you might be surprised who might emerge," Showalter said. As DiComo points out, the right-handed Ottavino easily has the most closing experience in the current Mets bullpen with 39 career saves, but southpaw Brooks Raley has posted better numbers this season and collected a save Thursday. Both relievers are worth rostering in deeper fantasy leagues, but it sounds as if save opportunities will be split among multiple pitchers unless one seizes the role.
