How can Alderson fix the bullpen?

In 2012, the Mets' bullpen was easily the weakest area of the team, and Sandy Alderson has stated his intention on improving it. Last winter, he signed Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to become mainstays at the back end of the bullpen, but both of those signings did not go as well as planned. Rauch was inconsistent for the majority of the season, and Francisco was a mess both on and off the field. 

The Mets are going to have trouble winning games in 2013, and blown saves can be something that can devastate a team. That raises the question: How can Alderson fix the bullpen? Luckily for him, there are several pitchers out there who would fit perfectly in New York. I'm talking about Brian Wilson, Matt Capps, Brett Myers, and even Jose Valverde. Wilson is coming off Tommy John surgery, and his value is extremely low. That makes him a great player to buy-low on, and possibly ship off at the deadline if he finds success. Capps and Myers both have experience as a closer, and may demand a two year deal, but if the price is right I see no reason not to give it to them. Finally, Valverde would be a clear upgrade over anyone in the current bullpen, but I am quite aware of his off-the-field issues. Like Wilson, his value is low at the moment, so perhaps he would take a slight pay cut.

The Mets obviously need more options, because they simply cannot go after the bigger named free agents given their financial problems. It is up to Alderson and Co. to find those lower-tiered players, buy them for cheap, and utilize them at the major league level. 

If the season started today, the club would have Francisco as it's closer, and Bobby Parnell as it's setup man. I, as well as many other Met fans, am not a fan of Francisco, but I do like Parnell quite a bit. He hasn't been able to handle the spotlight of being a closer, but I am confident that he and his 100 mph fastball can become a dominant setup man in the not-so-near future. Besides Parnell, the rest of the bullpen is basically filled with rookies. Josh Edgin will most likely make the team out of Spring Training, but Robert Carson, Jeurys Familia, and Elvin Ramirez need to have more time at the big league level before I make a more accurate judgement about them. 

In conclusion, Alderson still has a whole lot of work to do this off-season. He addressed the catching situation by acquiring Travis d'Arnaud from the Blue Jays a few weeks ago, but he still needs to upgrade his outfielders and his bullpen arms. The bullpen is more important then people realize, and if he doesn't make any improvements, you can expect to see an ugly 2013 season.