PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. _ The parking lot at First Data Field was familiar. So, too, was the blue-and-orange workout gear, the clubhouse, the bullpen mounds. Everywhere Jeurys Familia looked Monday reminded him of being home again.
Familia said he turned down offers elsewhere to be a closer because he wanted this, that being a setup man, essentially a demotion, was fine as long as he was back with the Mets. Clearly a three-year, $30-million contract nudged him in that direction as well. Let's not ignore the obvious.
But in listening to Familia explain his Mets reunion, there also sounds like he has a belief in what went down this winter in Flushing, along with the architect, agent-turned-GM Brodie Van Wagenen. While he's still new at this front-office gig, give Van Wagenen credit for leaning on what he knows _ namely forging relationships with players, in the hope that this behind-the-scenes support can translate to better performance on the field.
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