WASHINGTON — Jason Isringhausen was asked after last night’s game if he was curious to find out what will happen today.
“What’s [today]?” Isringhausen said.
Reminded it was the non-waiver trade deadline, Isringhausen chuckled and said, “Oh, yeah. I forgot. We’ll know soon enough — 4 p.m. Eastern.”
The right-hander, in one of his best runs of the season, said he doesn’t expect the Mets to send him anywhere, but after 15 seasons in the majors, Isringhausen knows nothing is guaranteed.
“I think I’m going to be sticking around,” Isringhausen said after getting the night off in the Mets’ 3-0 loss to Washington at Nationals Park. “But stranger things have happened.”
General manager Sandy Alderson said he wasn’t planning on making any more moved following last week’s trade of Carlos Beltran, but Arizona reportedly is still interested in the 38-year-old in a set-up role.
Isringhausen has flourished since becoming a closer again in Francisco Rodriguez’s absence. Following Rodriguez’s trade to Milwaukee after the All-Star Game, Isringhausen is 1-0 with all five of his season’s saves.
“At this point, all we can do is just wait and see,” said Isringhausen, who was thrust into his old role after Rodriguez was shipped out. “But I’m not worried about it, either way.”
And while keeping a closer on a team that is 7½ games back of the Braves in the wild card race and 12 ½ behind NL East leading Philadelphia might not seem that important, the Mets wouldn’t mind keeping him around as a mentor for young relievers Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato.
Nevertheless, Isringhausen, invited to Mets’ camp in spring training as almost an afterthought, has made it difficult for other teams to ignore him.
He has surrendered just one run over his last 10 innings since July 5 and has managed to stay healthy through 42 games and 36 innings.
“I still feel good,” Isringhausen said. “That’s the thing I’m thinking about the most. Not where I’m going to be playing.”
After last night’s loss, the Mets trail not just the Phillies and Braves, but also Arizona and St. Louis and are tied with Pittsburgh.
Nevertheless, the Mets head to Citi Field after today’s finale against the Nationals to start a 10-game homestand and Isringhausen would like to be there for it.
“That’s my goal,” Isringhausen said.
