The veteran right-handed pitcher will get late-inning work to begin the season.
The Mets have officially added 36-year-old Jose Valverde to the team's 40-man roster. There was little doubt that Valverde would make the team's Opening Day roster over the past couple of weeks, but the fact that he's been added to the forty confirms his status.
Valverde made just 20 appearances last year for the Tigers and was awful in the process. Despite decent strikeout and walk rates, he served up home runs at an alarming clip and posted a 5.59 ERA and 6.36 FIP. He was a capable major league relief pitcher in 71 appearances in 2012, but his fastball has been steadily losing speed over each of the past few seasons.
Despite his struggles last year, Mets manager Terry Collins is planning to use Valverde as a setup man and occasional fill-in for closer Bobby Parnell.
With the move, the Mets have 39 players on the 40-man roster, though they'll free up a spot when they officially add Matt Harvey to the 60-day disabled list.
