The New York Mets lost the Zack Wheeler sweepstakes, but they are moving quickly on finding his replacement. The Mets have mutual interest with free agent Rick Porcello, who would slot in the five spot in the current Mets rotation.
Rick Porcello appreciation tweet. pic.twitter.com/34NbABQtea
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 18, 2019
Porcello was the 2016 AL Cy Young winner but has had a fall from grace since then. He has a 4.79 ERA over the last three seasons and has also seen a decline in the amount of innings he has pitched. Porcello’s 2019 ERA was the highest of his career, and he allowed 31 home runs.
Is This the Answer?
Even though the Mets are trying to fill the five spot in their rotation, there are still better options available. Dallas Keuchel, Julio Teheran, and Aaron Sanchez are all equal or better options than Porcello. Injuries can quickly move the fifth starter to the fourth starter and beyond, so the Mets should be looking for the best options instead of cheaper ones.
There is mutual interest between Mets and free agent Rick Porcello https://t.co/Dgup0hzqdU pic.twitter.com/r0U89OtIcF
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) December 4, 2019
Porcello is not a bad option, but he is not the best. Outside their potential top five starters, there is no depth following them. This can leave the Mets in a very vulnerable state should anyone suffer a long term injury.