DALLAS — While the Mets flexed their financial might for Juan Soto, that hasn’t been the case when it comes to starting pitching. That’s not expected to change.
The only New York team that pursued Max Fried was the Yankees. The Mets are not in on Corbin Burnes. So far, they’ve added right-handers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes on relatively modest two- and three-year contracts, but president of baseball operations David Stearns admittedly says there is still uncertainty with the rotation.
“It accentuates the need for depth,” Stearns said Tuesday on the second day of the annual Winter Meetings. “That’s something that we talk about a lot — the desire to ensure that we have eight to ten starting pitchers somewhere in our organization that we feel really confident about and that can contribute over the course of the season.”
The Mets, like all other teams in baseball, will pursue Japanese right-hander Rōki Sasaki, but because he has 45 days to make a decision, Stearns said the team will operate as if he isn’t an option for now, considering it a bonus if he chooses to sign with the Mets. The team hopes to be among the suitors picked to meet with him in Japan, something Stearns described as an “invite-only” process.
So the Mets will look to add more pitching through any means necessary to supplement a rotation that consists of Kodai Senga, David Peterson (left), Paul Blackburn, Montas and Holmes, with Tylor Megill and Jose Butto as depth options.
“There are certainly starting pitchers who are being discussed on the trade market, and I would expect multiple starting pitchers to be — I don’t know how to quantify this, but multiple starting pitchers to be moved in the coming weeks. And so there is, I think, both a reasonable quantity on the free agent market, and starting pictures available through trade.”
One of those pitchers is Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, who has two years left of team control. Stearns typically likes to trade for pitchers who are under control for another year or two, much like he did with Blackburn at the trade deadline. The White Sox are looking for infield prospects and the Mets have plenty of them. Infield development has been an area where the Mets have historically excelled and as a result, they have a few too many.
Brett Baty is blocked at third base by Mark Vientos, and though the Mets have discussed using him in a utility role, it’s probably not feasible to have both Baty and Luisangel Acuña on the roster as utility men. That doesn’t even take into consideration Ronny Mauricio, a shortstop blocked by Francisco Lindor, who prefers to play second base, where he’s blocked by Jeff McNeil.
Third base? Well, again, that belongs to Vientos.
And then there is No. 2 overall prospect Jett Williams, who can play outfield but the Mets see him as an infielder.
Last year, the Mets signed three free agent utility players to compete in spring training and serve as insurance for the emerging young players. They could still do that, but Stearns said the kids need to play.
“I’ve said this since I got here, it’s important for us to have room for young players to play,” Stearns said. “It doesn’t have to be an everyday role, it doesn’t have to be at the same spot every single day, and it may not even have to be on Opening Day. But we have to give ourselves space over the course of the year for our young players to play.”
Unlike in recent years, the Mets plan to make top prospects available to other teams if there are trades to be made. If that’s the case, the Mets and White Sox just might have what each side is looking for.
“We are open to the right deal,” Stearns said. “We have to look to see whether there are players who can immediately make us better, who potentially have control and things like that. So I wouldn’t close the door on it. You’re never looking to trade your top prospects, we like the top of our system quite a bit, we think it’s a good group. Many of them have the ability potentially to help us pretty quickly at the big-league level…
“So I can’t say we’re looking to do it, but I’m not going to close the door on it.”
Maybe there is a deal to be made for Crochet, maybe it’s another two-year deal for someone like Walker Buehler. Regardless, the rotation has to get a lot deeper.
