The Mets lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it was not for a lack of trying.
Steve Cohen offered the highly-touted ace a 12-year, $325 million deal that the Los Angeles Dodgers matched, which was enough to win the signature of the Japanese right-hander.
Yamamoto was the top priority for the Mets this winter and it also seems like the only big name that they were coveting. For a team that is positioning itself for a legitimate title push in 2025, the Mets’ offseason has been headlined by depth signings in what looks like an attempt by president of baseball operations David Stearns to fill roster holes by committee — at least for 2024.
The starting rotation provided one of the most glaring weaknesses to be addressed after New York dealt Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the trade deadline to boost its farm system. Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana were the only dependable options as holdovers from 2023.
Rather than dole out big money on the free-agent market for veteran pitchers or trade from a suddenly strong farm system, the Mets signed former Yankee Luis Severino to a one-year, $13 million prove-it deal and acquired Adrian Houesr from Stearns’ former club, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Severino’s All-Star career has been derailed by injuries and is coming off his worst season yet, which included issues with pitch-tipping. Meanwhile, Houser has always been a bottom-end starter.
As it stands, this is what the Mets’ starting-pitching options look like as of Yamamoto’s signing with the Dodgers:
- Kodai Senga
- Jose Quintana
- Luis Severino
- Adrian Houser
- Tylor Megill
- David Peterson
- Joey Lucchesi
- Jose Butto
Considering new manager Carlos Mendoza could deploy a six-man rotation, the Mets should be looking to pick up at least one more arm on the free-agent market.
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is available, but it does not appear as though Stearns is looking to give out big money to a veteran arm — especially when the 2024 season increasingly looks as though it will just be a transition year.
Lucas Giolito is a former All-Star who could be another reclamation project in Queens that would allow Stearns to offer a short-term deal. The 29-year-old right-hander posted a 4.89 ERA over his last two seasons, including a difficult half-season in which he was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels, where he went 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA, and then put on waivers. He was picked up by the Cleveland Guardians and struggled just as mightily, going 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA.
All eyes will subsequently turn to Triple-A, especially if the Mets struggle next summer. A crop of young pitchers could be ready to make the jump to the majors either late in 2024 or for the 2025 season, including No. 9-ranked prospect Mike Vasil, currently in Triple-A, and the Nos. 10 and 12-ranked prospects, Blade Tidwell and Christian Scott, both of whom are in Double-A.
