The New York Mets are scraping the bottom of the barrel in their efforts to replace Zack Wheeler.
It’s the first day of the Winter Meetings and the news couldn’t be worse for Mets’ fans. Andy Martino of SNY is reporting that the New York Mets are looking at Rick Porcello or more of a depth piece.
He’s on the list but Mets might go with more of a depth piece. Depends on his price/market https://t.co/AxXQr3rcje
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 8, 2019
If the Mets are looking at more of depth piece than Porcello fans should be worried. Porcello had the worst ERA among qualified pitchers last season at 5.52. His FIP wasn’t much better at 4.76. He’s was one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball last season.
There’s upside with Porcello though. He won a Cy Young award in 2016 and his spin rate is elite. Those things might raise Porcello’s price out of the Mets’ range.
The question is what’s more of a depth piece than Porcello? He had the worst ERA in baseball in 2019 how can there be something worse available? This means the Mets are likely looking into minor league signings to fix a spot that was occupied by Zack Wheeler.
This isn’t what Mets’s fans want to see. They were only three games out of the playoffs last season. A better manager likely gets them into the playoffs. The Mets should be looking to aggressively add pieces to keep pace with the Braves, Nationals, and Phillies. Instead, they’re swimming in the same pool as the Marlins and the Orioles.
This is hugely disappointing news. It shows that the Mets’ payroll issues are likely worse than fans originally thought. It’s possible that the Mets are working with a budget that’s even less than the $13 million before the luxury tax threshold.
It’ll be up to Brodie Van Wagenen to figure out how to creatively add to this team and keep them competitive. One name to potentially keep an eye on is Matt Boyd. The Tigers looked to trade him at the deadline and couldn’t get a deal done. He’s arbitration-eligible for two more seasons after this one, and will only make $6.4 million for 2020.
Considering the Mets’ willingness to deal Dom Smith and/or J.D. Davis that kind of deal seems plausible. It seems more likely that the Mets’ will add pieces by trade than by free agency.