The Mets are Good But Could Be Better

AUTHOR: FRANK CAGGINO

The New York Mets have gotten off to a solid start this season, however, all of their losses have come from the bullpen faltering late. The Mets have two injuries to the starting rotation already and do not have much quality depth left. Ideally, the Mets should pick up multiple pitchers to improve their bullpen and overall pitching depth. Usually, the Mets would have to target a team that is not competitive and willing to move on from some of their good players. Luckily for the Mets, there is a rebuilding team that has a multitude of pitchers that can benefit the Mets.

After losing the series to the Mets, the Arizona Diamondbacks are on their way to another losing season. The D-Backs did not play well last season and have very low expectations, with the lack of significant moves they made this offseason. Arizona has right-handed and left-handed pitchers that can help the Mets both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

The New York Mets finished the weekend and have starting pitchers that are in the top five for ERA (earned run average). Furthermore, Mets Starter Tylor Megill was tied for first place in ERA and the pitcher he was tied with is Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly has been a solid but not great pitcher in his career. Nobody would predict that Kelly would even be top 20 in ERA. One of the most intriguing aspects of Merrill Kelly is his contract. Earlier this month, Kelly agreed to a two-year contract extension that only has an average annual value of 8 million. If the Mets were to acquire him and he pitches well, he also has a club option for 2025. This is a much more palatable contract than other pitchers such as Madison Bumgarner, who is also on the Diamondbacks but is being paid 23 million dollars a year. Another compelling aspect of the Diamondbacks is Kelly and Bumgarner are not the only starting pitchers the Mets can target. Luke Weaver is a pitcher to consider since he is only 28 and has shown some good signs. Weaver is currently on the injured list, but the injury is not anything significant. If the Mets want to make a significant addition to their pitching staff, they can inquire about the availability of Zac Gallen. Gallen is the best pitcher in Arizona, is 26 years old, and for the most part has been a good pitcher his whole career. Even though the pitchers mentioned are starting pitchers, if the Mets were to acquire any of them, it can also improve their bullpen.

David Peterson has done a solid job filling into the rotation, if the Mets acquired Merrill Kelly, Peterson can go to the bullpen. Peterson would be able to take over instead of Joely Rodriguez. Having a pitcher such as Kelly would also help the Mets in case there is another injury to the rotation. Peterson can go back to being a starter instead of using a pitcher from the minor leagues. There is also one reliever Arizona has that can benefit the Mets.

Mark Melancon has been a solid reliever his entire career and even though he is 37, he was an All-Star last season. Melancon is off to a good start this season and is a very likely trade candidate for a team that is not going to have a winning record. Melancon would be a quality addition, especially if Seth Lugo continues to struggle or if they are any injuries in the bullpen.

Depth is extremely important, we have already seen the Mets have to deal with COVID-19 cases and doubleheaders in the first month of the season. It is smart to be prepared for any scenario, and adding a pitcher or multiple pitchers from Arizona would allow the Mets to always have a quality pitcher for every start. Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, and Taijuan Walker all have injury concerns, having an eventual six-man rotation could help keep the Mets healthy throughout the season. In order for the Mets to make the playoffs and be successful in the postseason, their pitching has to be healthy. Being proactive now can help the Mets because the division could be decided by a game or two. Making a move now to help the team win an extra game or two can be the difference maker of the season.

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The New York Mets Need to Make a Call

Author: Frank Caggino

Now that the MLB lockout has finally ended, free agency has resumed. Players and in particular starting pitchers, have been flying off the board. While the Mets signing Max Scherzer improved their pitching staff, the pitchers after him and deGrom all have question marks. Carlos Carrasco had some injuries and even when healthy, did not pitch the way the Mets hoped. Taijuan Walker was an All-Star, and then mostly struggled in the second half of the season. Tylor Megill had mixed results and it is not ideal to depend on a pitcher who will only be in their second season. There are very few decent pitchers left in the starting pitcher market and that is why the Mets should pursue the trade market.

The best starting pitcher left among the free agents is Yusei Kikuchi. Who similar to Taijuan Walker, struggled in the second half of the season and does not have a proven track record. The Mets need someone more reliable if they intend on being a team that competes for a World Series. The trade market has multiple quality pitchers, (I have written about Tyler Mahle of the Reds) and the Oakland Athletics have multiple quality pitchers. Oakland has a reputation of trading their good players and not keeping them long term. The Athletics, want to move on from those pitchers at some point, which is why the Mets should try to acquire one of them. The three pitchers from Oakland that have been rumored to been available are Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, and Sean Manea. All three pitchers were healthy and had consistent seasons. The Athletics, also have some valuable portion players that could be moved and the Mets can help replace them.

Matt Olsen is a player whose name has popped up in trade rumors, and if Oakland does trade him, the Mets have a player who could potentially help fill the void. Dominic Smith does not have much of a role in New York, since the team singed Starling Marte, Mark Cahna, and Eduardo Escobar. Robinson Cano will be back this year and will take away some designated hitter reps. Perhaps after Olsen is traded, the Mets can make their deal with Oakland to acquire a starting pitcher for a package that includes, Dom Smith and some other prospects. It is important for the Mets to make a move for the rotation because of how much they have invested.

Having Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer in the same rotation, might be a once in a lifetime thing for the Mets and it can not be wasted. The Mets have the highest payroll in all of baseball and have to ensure that they will be a winning team. The Athletics will not re-sign any of their pitchers and if they are smart, they will trade them and get some value in return. If the Mets are smart, they will be the team to call Oakland.

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How can the Mets replace Noah Syndergaard?

Author: Frank Caggino

The main reason the Mets stayed in first place for over 100 days, was how well their starting pitching performed. One of the reasons the Mets were not able to get back in first place, is the starting pitching did not perform well. Jacob deGrom got hurt, Carlos Carrasco underperformed, Tylor Megill was inconsistent, and the other starting pitchers have a history of being injured. Noah Syndergaard was injured most of the season and only pitched two innings. Acquiring starting pitching depth should be a top priority for the Mets this offseason. It seemed like Noah Syndergaard was going to stay with the Mets after expressing how much he wanted to be a Met. But as always with the Mets, nothing is as it seems.

Noah Syndergaard ended up signing a one-year 21 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. This deal was only three million more than the qualifying offer of 18.4 million that the New York Mets offered Syndergaard. What is concerning about Noah leaving the Mets, is according to multiple reports, he did not tell the Mets he was going to be signing with the Angels due to their better offer. The Mets will get a compensatory draft pick and an extra 18.4 million to spend on other free agents.

The main free agent the Mets should use the Syndergaard money on is Marcus Stroman. He was one of the pitchers that were pitching great when the Mets were in first place. When deGrom got hurt, Stroman was the only consistently productive starting pitcher the Mets had and finished ninth in ERA. Stroman is looking for a big payday and now the Mets have more money to potentially re-sign him. Even if the Mets do keep Marcus, they still need more starting pitching.

Fortunately for the Mets, there are plenty of available free-agent starting pitchers. Max Scherzer is not coming to the Mets, the realistic options to pursue besides Stroman are Kevin Gausman, Carlos Rodon, Robbie Ray. The one concern about these pitchers is 2021 was their first great year. They are going to have high asking prices as well which can make it risky to sign them. If the Mets do keep Stroman, adding Jon Gray or Anthony Descalfini would be nice additions as they are solid pitchers at a lower price.

The Mets need to sign one big starter and at least one or more depth pieces for the rotation. Getting a draft pick is also a big deal for a farm system that is top-heavy and depleted. Maybe Noah Syndergaard is not the same pitcher anymore and the Mets will end up being lucky he did not re-sign. But as we know, the Mets do not normally get lucky.

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