PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
The 37-year-old, longtime shutdown reliever, who was informed Sunday that he will not be on the Opening Day roster, will remain in the organization and stay in Florida in hopes that his stuff will improve and a spot on the club will open.
Kimbrel could have exercised an opt-out from his contract. If a major league opportunity arises with another team, he would be free to pursue it.
But the plan for the time being is for Kimbrel to continue throwing, try to build his velocity and “stay ready” if the Mets need him, he said.
“My goal was to make the Opening Day roster. I am a little disappointed in that, but that is all on me and what I showed this spring so far,” Kimbrel said Monday at the team’s spring facility. “It really came down to roster moves and how they wanted to construct it. … It was going to be a tough job to get onto this team. A lot of great arms and just so many spots.”
Kimbrel was competing for the final spot in the bullpen, which will go to lefties Bryan Hudson or Richard Lovelady (or a reliever who shakes loose from another camp).
Kimbrel allowed three runs on four hits and five walks in six innings while striking out five in the Grapefruit League. His four-seam fastball averaged 92.5 mph. He said he wants to work on “consistency” and strength to juice that number.
“If I can get my fastball velocity up a little bit, I think that makes everybody feel a little bit more comfortable,” said Kimbrel, a potential Hall of Famer. “I can pitch with what I got right now, but we’re in a game where guys are throwing 100 miles an hour out of the bullpen.”
Kimbrel said reporting to Triple-A Syracuse “might be an option” down the road, but he is hopeful he will have a major league job before accepting a minor league assignment.
Why is he staying with the Mets?
“Very pleased in what I see around here,” Kimbrel said. “The Mets have treated me with the utmost respect the whole time I’ve been here. I’ve been very transparent with that work relationship. … I just feel pretty comfortable where I am right now. I still feel like there’s an opportunity here at some point.”
Carson Benge will be the Opening Day right fielder, but the final spot on the bench is still being decided.
The Mets will bring infielder Vidal Bruján, outfielder Jared Young and catcher Ben Rortvedt to New York with them before deciding who will be their 26th man. It is possible none make the team and the Mets claim a player who is cut from another camp.
“We told them that this is probably going to [go] all the way to the end,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
