It doesn’t appear there is going to be room in the Mets’ retooled bullpen for Jason Isringhausen.
Sources said the team “hasn’t ruled anything out,” but they don’t expect him back.
“There probably isn’t a fit for him here,” another source said. “He’s been talking to other teams, and we think he’ll wind up elsewhere.”
Isringhausen, 39, made an unexpected return to the majors — and his former team — a year ago when the right-hander showed up at spring training to get some work in to see if he could still pitch.
The Mets’ new regime was impressed — and in dire need of help in the bullpen — and Isringhausen came at the bargain-basement price of $500,000. It was a salary he said he wouldn’t be willing to play for again.
Isringhausen broke down physically at the end of the season, with a herniated disk in his back, but manager Terry Collins lauded him for his work with the Mets’ young relief corps.
He went 3-3 with a 4.05 ERA, tailing off after a fast start. He picked up seven saves, bringing him to 300 for his career.
While the Mets haven’t done much to improve this offseason, they are confident the bullpen is better thanks to the acquisition of Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez to go along with Manny Acosta, Tim Byrdak and Bobby Parnell, among others.