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Mets reliever Logan Verrett looking for last spot in bullpen

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PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets have rebuilt their organization around their brand-name pitchers: Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler. Being a young starting pitcher not among those five in this organization would seem to be a dead end.

Logan Verrett does not see it that way.

“It just so happens we do have five of the best pitchers in baseball. I am fortunate; we’re all fortunate; we get come up with these guys and kind of grow up together,” said the Mets righthander who is fighting for a bullpen spot this spring. “We’re all young. I played with Harvey in summer ball, the Cape Cod league. I played with Noah in Double-A and Triple-A. I came up with deGrom from High-A to Triple-A. We’ve all come up together, basically grown up together. Seeing it all come into fruition here and everybody taking off like they are, it’s only gonna pay dividends for my career down the road.”

That road is starting early this spring.

Coming into this camp, everyone in baseball knew what the Mets rotation would be — most of their bullpen was settled as well. So the biggest competition in camp will likely be early and quick. The Mets will not use their starting staff in Grapefruit League games until March 7, when Bartolo Colon — who is filling a spot until Wheeler gets back from Tommy John rehab — and Matz each start a split-squad game.

But Rafael Montero and Verrett will be starting the Grapefruit League and Tradition Field openers Thursday and Friday, respectively, likely battling for the last spot in the bullpen.

The Mets have closer Jeurys Familia, set-up man Addison Reed, lefty Antonio Bastardo, lefty-specialist Jerry Blevins and righthander Hansel Robles all but locked into their bullpen. The Mets have Sean Gilmartin and Erik Goeddel high on their relievers’ lists after impressing last season.

So Verrett and Montero, who are both ideal for spot starts and multiple innings out of the pen, are likely pitching this spring for the difference between a spot in the major-league bullpen and spot starts or waiting in Triple-A for a call-up.

“We need a guy who can give us innings, a guy who can maybe make a spot start,” Terry Collins said. “They are both going to get a very good looks this spring.”

Verrett pitched to a 3.63 ERA in four starts and 3.03 overall in 14 appearances with the Mets last season. Collins was particularly thrilled when the righthander gave the Mets eight solid innings, allowing one run, in a spot start against the Rockies at Coors Field.

“That was huge. In baseball’s toughest park, he gave up one run. That gave him and us a lot of confidence to put him in there,” Collins said. “He’s shown us he can step in and give us big starts and he threw pretty well out of the bullpen too.”

One of the Mets’ top prospects for the last three years, Montero has failed to translate that into success on the major-league level. He made one start last season and five appearances out of the bullpen, pitching to a 4.50 ERA before spending most of the season on the disabled list with an elusive shoulder injury.

The pinpoint command of his fastball, which made the Mets so high on him as a youngster, was just not there in his nine major-league starts and six relief appearances the last two years. Pitching coach Dan Warthen, however, said Montero’s major issue was that he was tipping his pitches.

“He has taken care of that, I don’t see it anymore,” Warthen said. “He threw some very good pitches when he was up, but when hitters know what is coming, it’s hard to get outs. He looks good this spring.”

Verrett knows that opportunity for pitchers with the Mets are limited these days, so he is embracing his shot Friday.

“I knew I was going to get some looks early in spring with them easing the ‘Big Five,’ in, so I am excited,” Verrett said. “This is going to be fun.”

And for Montero and Verrett, this early spring will be a rare opportunity for a young Mets pitcher.

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