PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jerry Blevins was getting asked nearly every day: Where will you sign?

As many free agents tend to be, the left-handed reliever was the subject of many rumors during the offseason. His talks with teams dragged on until last week, when he finally re-signed with the Mets, and even spilled over into the public. Everyone -- including his wife -- wanted to know where he would play in 2017. 

"The hardest part was dealing with uninformed family and friends," Blevins said on Sunday at Tradition Field. "They're like, 'Where are you going? I know that you know. What's the inside information.'"

Spring training preview

Blevins, who officially re-signed Thursday for a one-year, $6.5 million contract with a club option for 2018, didn't really have any inside information for his friends. Or his wife, for that matter, who was anxious to take care of spring training accommodations. 

But Blevins was never phased by any of it. 

"There was no panic," Blevins said. "Maybe just telling my wife, 'Slow down, we don't have to have a place for spring training yet,' because she's used to making those plans early. But other than that, it was interesting to see how the process worked out."

Mets Spring Training Day 1

That cool demeanor serves him well as both a relief pitcher and as a pitcher in New York. Blevins knows that the high-pressure market isn't for everyone, but he's thrived in his two years in Queens. After an injury took him out for most of the 2015 season, the left-handed specialist came back to go 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA with two saves and 36 holds in 42 innings last season. 

He wanted to stay in New York, but he also wanted a multiyear deal. And if he was going to leave, he was only going to go to a front-runner. The two sides agreed to a deal that he described as fair for all involved. 

"If anybody needs a left-hander that has some years on him and has some experience, it's usually teams that are competitive," Blevins said. "That was my number one -- I want to win a World Series. The teams that want me are usually competitive, otherwise there's really no reason for my job." 

Syndergaard won't call himself ace

After pitching in the cavernous, yet mostly empty Oakland Coliseum for most of his career and one year for NL East rival Washington, the unflappable Blevins has found the biggest market to be the best fit. 

"A bullpen can carry a team for a while," Blevins said. "And especially in New York, having a familiarity pitching in a market like this is rare. So when you've done it before and had success, it builds that confidence. And confidence is the name of the game when it comes to coming out in the bullpen." 

Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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