Mets pencil Reed as closer, Salas as setup man in Familia's absence

The New York Mets have the back end of the bullpen figured out in case they find themselves without ninth-inning man Jeurys Familia for an extended period of time.

With Familia possibly facing a lengthy suspension from MLB for his involvement in a domestic violence incident in October, Mets manager Terry Collins told the New York Post's Mike Puma on Monday he's prepared to use Addison Reed as the club's closer.

That swap would then prompt the Mets to bump Fernando Salas up to the setup role, a change from the seventh-inning duties he was primarily given last season.

"As of today he would be that guy, because he has done it before and he's been successful at it," Collins told Puma. "As we have seen in the last couple of years, the big inning is the seventh inning. How can we piecemeal that to get to the eighth inning? How can we get to Addison and then Jeurys in the last couple of innings?

"We've got to make sure early in the year, no matter how long Jeurys may be gone, we've got to find those answers - especially early in the year when guys aren't going seven innings. Your starting pitching is going five. You have got to get through six and seven."

The Mets may not have to wait long for a decision regarding Familia, as Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters earlier this offseason he expects the league's office to decide on a possible punishment for the closer before Opening Day.