Mets likely out on FA closers; Wheeler in ‘pen?

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The free-agent market for outfielders is thinner than usual at the dawn of the Winter Meetings. For starting pitchers, it is practically nonexistent. But the market for late-inning relievers is robust, with closers Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon all hitting free agency at the same time.

For a Mets club seeking back-end relief help, particularly with Jeurys Familia facing a possible suspension via Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence Policy, those names might seem tempting. But general manager Sandy Alderson’s general aversion to bullpen volatility makes a marriage with any of them unlikely.

“I don’t think that we’re looking at that top end,” Alderson said on Sunday after arriving at the Winter Meetings. “With relievers … you’re always better off with a one-year deal if you can get it, but sometimes it’s …

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