The New York Mets are in the hunt for starting pitching, as they lost Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker and, most importantly, Jacob deGrom, to free agency. At the moment, Max Scherzer, David Peterson, Carlos Carrasco and Tylor Megill represent the entire starting pitching depth.
The market, however, presents several enticing opportunities for the Mets. Not only they can bring some of their own free agents back, but they can also lure some other big arms to the Big Apple.
Sure, they will have competition, but they are prepared to outbid everyone for the right targets.
Presumably, both the Mets and the Yankees are looking to add to their rotations, but the former have a bigger need, while the latter may be prioritizing other positions.
Two of the best pitchers in the market are deGrom and Kodai Senga, the Japanese hurler who is not subject to the traditional posting process.
The Mets want both deGrom and Senga
SNY’s Andy Martino wrote that the Mets are expected to end up with both stars.
“I don’t think the Yankees are signing deGrom or Senga. That’s the feeling I have from reporting. I think the Mets can end up with them both. I don’t think the Yankees are going to sign either of those players, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Senga has a long list of potential suitors, from the Texas Rangers, the Yankees, Mets and the San Diego Padres.
He is 29 years old and has been a dominant force in Japan for years. In 2022 with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, he was 11-6 and posted a 1.94 ERA.
deGrom, meanwhile, had a 3.08 ERA in 2022 with the Mets but finished with a 1.08 mark in 2021. Both seasons were mostly derailed by injuries.
He may be seeking a similar deal that the one Scherzer signed before the season: a three-year, $130 million pact.
The Rangers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs and the Yankees are among the other teams that could look to sign deGrom.