Breaking down the 5 most likely landing spots for Zack Wheeler

4. New York Mets

Zack Wheeler came to the Mets as part of the blockbuster package that sent Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants in 2011. He has been a part of their organization for almost a decade, and there’s a lot of history between both sides. The Mets have stuck with Wheeler through the ups and downs of his lengthy injury history and saw him through all of it back to full health and a potential nine-figure contract.

The Mets surprised the league at the trade deadline last season by holding onto Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard, plus pulling off a shocking trade for Toronto Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman. They decided to go for it in a season when most had written them off. The Mets ended up gutting out an 86-76 finish. The team’s biggest strength is their starting rotation, led by two-time Cy Young Jacob deGrom.

It would be fitting if the Mets could find a way to re-sign Wheeler because they tabbed Beltran to take over as manager. That would be an interesting tidbit of MLB history for a former player to manage a pitcher he was once traded for.

Whether or not the Mets will prioritize keeping Wheeler when they already have four high-end starting pitchers in their rotation remains to be seen.

Expect Wheeler to give the Mets the absolute right to match any deal he is offered on the open market. He does have a good thing going in New York, where he could sign a big contract but slot in as a number-three starter in a star-studded rotation. The Mets, however, have several glaring weaknesses to address, especially in their bullpen and outfield. They can build a contending team for 2020 without spending all of their free-agent budget on Wheeler.