The New York Mets, still reeling from the patellar tendon injury that will cost All-Star closer Edwin Díaz his season, were one of 10 teams to attend free-agent lefty Zack Britton's showcase on Friday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Mets' interest level in Britton remains unknown, though he does have familiarity with manager Buck Showalter from their shared time as members of the Baltimore Orioles organization.
Britton, 35 years old, has been limited by injuries of his own in recent seasons. Between Tommy John surgery and a shoulder ailment, he's been limited to a combined 19 innings since the start of the 2021 campaign. Britton has not pitched particularly well in that time, either, amassing a 6.16 ERA (72 ERA+) and walking three more batters (20) than he's struck out (17) in 25 outings.
Factor in how Britton has not pitched in a game situation with less than two weeks remaining until Opening Day, and it's fair to question just how much he'll be able to help out a team this season, particularly early in the year.
Still, Britton drawing interest from a third of the league is unsurprising. He's likely to come cheap, perhaps even on a non-roster deal that will allow him to work back into shape on the minor-league level. He also boasts an impressive track record, having twice made the All-Star Game. Britton was effective the last time he was fully healthy, too, having posted a 228 ERA+ in 20 appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
Whether or not the Mets pursue Britton, they're likely to enter the season relying on a committee approach to the ninth inning that includes veterans David Robertson, Adam Ottavino, and others.
