Author: Frank Caggino
While the Amazin’ Mets acquiring Max Scherzer is amazing, they still need more pitching help. With Marcus Stroman, Rich hill, and Noah Syndergaard leaving in free agency, the Mets have even less depth. This is problematic because all the Mets have essentially done thus far, is replace Stroman, who was top 10 in ERA this season with Scherzer. If the Mets do intend on reaching the postseason this year, adding another starter would go a long way.
As currently constructed, the Mets starting rotation is Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, and Tylor Megill. No other team can match the two Mets aces at the top, but there is a significant distinction with the next three pitchers in the rotation. Walker, Carrasco, and Megill all have question marks attached to them.
The signing of Taijuan Walker right at the beginning of spring training looked like a home run. Jacob deGrom was the lone All-Star for the Mets this season, and he gave up his spot for Taijuan Walker to reward him for his great first half. In the second half, Walker struggled to put together consistent quality performances. He had some good starts occasionally, but most of his starts were cause for concern. The Mets were fortunate that Walker got through the whole season healthy, since he is a player that has had several injuries throughout his career. Perhaps Walker’s arm was fatigued pitching in a 162 game season compared to the 60 game season in 2020. Taijuan was not the only Mets starting pitcher to underachieve in the second half.
Carlos Carrasco being a salary dump in the Francisco Lindor trade seemed as if it would be a steal for the Mets. That was not the case, as Carrasco tore his hamstring in spring training and took a long time to come back. Even when he returned, he did not look like himself. The Mets can not guarantee that Carrasco will return to his original self in 2022. He will be 35 next season and relying on a pitcher his age to make it through the season is too risky. This does not necessarily mean that a player who is very young is the answer either.
Tylor Megill was a pleasant surprise for the Mets this year as a rookie. Megill experienced some inconsistency in his performances as well, which is expected for a rookie. Megill’s 4.52 era is an example of his inconsistencies, he was not great, but also not bad. Regardless, counting on a second-year player is not ideal for a team that has playoff hopes.
The player the Mets should add to their rotation should be young, durable, reliable, and most importantly good. A player that stands out who is not being talked about and should not cost much, is Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds. Mahle had a 3.75 era which would fit in nicely as someone towards the back end of the rotation. The most appealing aspect of Mahle is he made 33 starts in 2021 which shows how he stayed healthy the entire season. Another positive about Mahle is his era was 3.68 in the first half and 3.83 in the second half. While that is not terrific, it is solid and consistent which is what the Mets need. Mahle has one year left on his contract with the Reds for around three million dollars. It is unclear what Cincinnati would want in return in a trade for Mahle. With the additions the Mets made to their offense, players such as J.D Davis and Dominic Smith are more expendable. Trading away depth is not great, but starting pitching is very important for a team to be successful.
The main reason the Mets got into the World Series in 2015 was because of their starting pitching. Tyler Mahle starting a playoff game is unlikely, but he would certainly help the Mets be able to reach the playoffs. Other trade candidates are Mahle’s teammates Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo. The Oakland Athletics also have intriguing pitchers such as Sean Manaea, Chris Bassit, and Frankie Montas. The free agency market is filled with pitchers who are older or injury prone which is what the Mets should avoid. Two veteran free agents that can be productive at a decent price, are Danny Duffy and Drew Smyly. It would be satisfying to see the Mets add a new starting pitcher and Tyler Mahle could be a hidden gem. Having two aces is great, but hidden gems is what truly makes an amzin’ team.
SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE
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