Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
Arodys Vizcaino is another pitcher the Mets are bringing in to find their way back to the major leagues. Vizcaino was drafted by the Yankees in 2007 and was traded in 2009 with Melky Cabrera and Mike Dunn to the Braves for Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez. He would make his debut in 2011 and then was traded at the 2012 deadline with Jaye Chapman to the Cubs for Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm. He was traded again by the Cubs back to the Braves for Tommy La Stella at the end of the 2014 season. He then stayed with the Braves for a while until he was traded in May 2019 to the Mariners for former Met Anthony Swarzak. (Of note – this trade happened after Arodys had a season ending shoulder injury/surgery).
Anyway, Arodys has been a reliever his entire time in the major league and was hitting his stride from from 2017 on. In 2017 he posted a 2.83 ERA over 62 games and 57.1 innings. That year he had a 3.72 FIP, 1.099 WHIP and a 155 ERA+. The next year was even better – in 39 games and 38.1 innings he had a 2.11 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.174 WHIP and a 195 ERA+.
Last year things didn’t line up for him to make it back. The Mets are hoping that they are catching lightning in a bottle – Arodys is only 30 and has a history of pitching in the majors. (He has a 2.60 ERA over 17.1 innings and 20 games against the Mets in his career). There are a lot of hurdles in front of him – he’s not on the 40 man roster and the Mets have added a lot of arms gunning for a roster bullpen spot. That being said, the bullpen was a disaster for the Mets and if he shines in Spring, the Mets will find a way to make it work.
