Izzy not likely to return to the Mets in 2012

According to Dan Martin of the New York Post, the New York Mets are not likely to bring back 39-year-old reliever Jason Isrinhausen in 2012:

Photo taken by Michael Baron

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.”

After 12 years since having last thrown a pitch for the Mets, Jason Isringhausen had come full circle. Once a top pitching prospect for the organization as part of the famous trio dubbed ‘Generation-K’ in the early ’90s, Jason became an intricate part of the teams bullpen in 2011.

The 39-year-old reliever did not pitch in 2010, but after receiving an invitation to Spring Training he made the roster and pitched rather well.

In the end the move worked out better than anyone could have anticipated as Izzy turned out to be one of the few ‘feel good’ stories of the Mets 2011 season; striking out 44 batters over 46 1/3 innings while notching seven saves in 11 opportunists, including his 300th career save on Aug. 15:

It was extremely enjoyable to watch Izzy pitch, effectively, while doning the blue and orange this season.  In some weird way, I remembered my youth every time he toed the rubber.  Maybe that’s because I continually told to my son about his stature as a Mets prospect “when I was younger” every time he did…