The New York Mets badly need to add at least two or three top-tier pieces to their rotation during the offseason. Their overall depth has been severely hit by injuries and free agency: Noah Syndergaard unexpectedly signed with the Los Angeles Angels, Rich Hill and Marcus Stroman are free agents, and there aren’t any assurances about the health of Jacob deGrom’s elbow. In addition, Joey Lucchesi won’t be available in 2022 as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.
The situation has created a severe need for pitching in the Mets’ organization. In particular, New York should do whatever it takes to re-sign Stroman, as he showed this past season that, with the added split-change to his repertoire, his ceiling is higher than it used to be.
In 2021, Stroman started 33 games and pitched 179.0 innings. His ERA was 3.02, his FIP 3.49, and he finished with 3.4 Wins Above Replacement, or WAR. He already played last season under the qualifying offer for the Mets, so he is not eligible to do so again.
Several clubs are interested in the Mets’ righty
The problem with re-signing Stroman is that the Mets are facing a lot of competition, which could ultimately end up driving the price up. According to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, at least five teams are interested in the right-hander: the Boston Red Sox, the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Angels, and incumbent Mets.
Additionally, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Seattle Mariners could be another potential suitor for Stroman.
The Mets recently bid for Steven Matz, who pitched all of his career, except for the 2021 season, with them. However, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
At the moment, deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill are all the Mets have as far as starters concern.
The offseason is still young, but pitching appears to moving off the market quickly. The Mets need to act now if they don’t want to see all their options disappear.