Adam Ottavino explains Mets return: 'I'm definitely glad I'm back'
When Adam Ottavino opted out of his Mets contract in November, he left the door open for a return, and ultimately, the right-hander found his way back last week.
Ottavino re-signed with New York for the 2024 season on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million.
"I love playing in New York," he said Friday on SNY's Baseball Night in New York. "It's my favorite place to play. I think it's the best city in the world and has the best fans, for sure. But for me, it really wasn't on my radar after I had opted out this year. I was willing to play anywhere. This just ended up being the best opportunity for me, and I'm definitely glad I'm back with the Mets."
The 38-year-old Ottavino pitched to a 3.21 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 in 61 2/3 IP over 66 games with the Mets during the 2023 season.
"I've been working on my pitches in a number of ways," Ottavino said. "I do think, if I can a little bit of my velocity back, I do think that that will make the rest of my arsenal play up the way I really want it to. So that's kind of the main indicator. I'm just looking to trend in a little better direction, velocity wise, when I get there.
"But I have been altering a little bit with my cutter-slider pitch -- looking to make it more of a chase pitch, something that I can get swing and miss below the zone -- and I'm looking to get down to Florida and kind of see the trial-and-error process with actual hitters."
Entering his third season with the Mets, Ottavino has seen 2022's 101-win high and 2023's 75-87 stumble. While New York enters 2024 with different expectations, he keeps the message to the team simple.
"As one of the leaders of this team, I think my message is going to be more along the lines of kind of -- collectively, we need to have our heads in the right place in the clubhouse," Ottavino said. "Obviously, fans are there to support us and they're going to have their desires. And that's awesome.
"But within the clubhouse, we need to kind of leave last year behind us and even leave two years ago behind us and just focus on what we can do this year, put our best foot forward from Day 1, play good baseball -- clean baseball -- and give ourselves a chance to add at the deadline and see what happens."
