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Report: Bastardo agrees to 2-year, $12M deal with Mets

Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets reportedly beefed up their bullpen Wednesday evening, agreeing to a two-year, $12-million deal with veteran left-hander Antonio Bastardo, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.

Bastardo, who turned 30 in September, enjoyed another impressive season in 2015, fashioning a 2.98 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP over 66 appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates while limiting left-handed hitters to a .448 OPS. Considered among the most reliable left-handed relievers in the majors, Bastardo has averaged 62 appearances per year since 2011, managing a 30.1 percent strikeout rate and surrendering just 0.75 home runs per nine innings over that span.

Though the Mets are poised to carry two other left-handers on their 25-man roster in Jerry Blevins and Sean Gilmartin, the former was limited to just seven appearances in 2015, while the latter fared worse against left-handed hitters than he did against right-handed hitters as a rookie last season. Bastardo, then, will likely be manager Terry Collins' top bullpen option to neutralize tough left-handed hitters late in games: The Dominican native has held same-handed batters to a .178/.277/.319 line throughout his seven-year career.

Last season, the Mets' bullpen was mostly middling, finishing seventh among NL teams in ERA (3.48) and eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.62), but endured fewer meltdowns (59) than every other team in the league.

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