Mets Talk: Building New York's Bullpen

A conversation with a Phillies fan who believes that a bullpen of Ryan Madsen, Tom Gordon, Brad Lidge, and lefty J.C. Romero should be pretty solid prompted this writer to think about how the Mets' 2008 bullpen will shape up. First, let us examine successful Mets bullpens of the past. The tandem of Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell were as tough as any relievers in 1986 and the surrounding era, but back then a team only needed a couple of dominant guys in the ‘pen since starters worked deeper into games. Additionally, neither one was concerned with being branded the “closer” so manager Davey Johnson was able to pick and choose his spots based on matchups and rest. The 1999 and 2000 teams had a nice little setup. Working backwards, finesse lefty John Franco would close and hard-throwing Armando Benitez would work the eighth. (Their roles would be swapped when Franco got hurt and Benitez actually had a successful run as the closer.) Slider-specialist Turk Wendell would work ... (link)