The veteran righty struggled in his spring appearances.
The Mets have released veteran right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth. The team signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training back in early February, but with an opt-out date built into the deal, the Mets had to tell him whether or not he'd make the Opening Day roster. Told he wouldn't make the deal, Farnsworth opted out of his contract and is again a free agent.
In seven spring outings, Farnsworth had a 5.63 ERA with just 4 strikeouts and 4 walks in 8 innings of work. He mostly struggled to match his low-90s velocity from last year, which itself was a step down from what he had done previously. Last year, Farnsworth struggled for most of the year with the Tampa Bay Rays before putting together a good string of outings for the Pittsburgh Pirates near the end of the season.
With the move, the Mets' Opening Day bullpen figures to consist of Bobby Parnell, Carlos Torres, Scott Rice, Vic Black, Jeurys Familia, Jose Valverde, and, most likely, John Lannan. The only pitcher who might still have a shot at unseating Lannan is Gonzalez Germen, though that seems unlikely.
