Oct 1, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
While Sunday may not have had the flurry of MLB free agency and trade activity that Saturday did, there will still some moves made by three teams that, on the surface, look like ones that will pay off in 2022 and beyond.
These are the three MLB teams that made the best free agent signings and trades on Sunday
Let’s start with the New York Mets, who also got kudos from us on their Saturday trade with the Oakland A’s to acquire starting pitcher Chris Bassitt. On Sunday, the Mets turned their attention to the bullpen, inking Adam Ottavino to a one-year, $4 million deal.
The 36-year-old right-hander has a career 3.60 ERA/3.60 FIP/1.328 WHIP. When he is on, his slider is among the best in the game. He will join a Mets bullpen that is very righty-heavy, and will likely serve as a setup man after registering 11 saves last season for the Boston Red Sox.
One thing to watch: Ottavino’s strikeout rate has dipped for three consecutive seasons, registering last year at 25.7 percent (10.3 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 13.0 in 2018).
