Given the all the injuries they’ve suffered, the New York Mets should seek one of the following two pitchers for their starting rotation.
You won’t find a contending team that needs to acquire starting pitching more than the Mets.
New York still has no return dates for starters Noah Syndergaard and Carlos Carrasco who have not pitched this season due to recovery from Tommy John surgery and a torn hamstring respectively.
Adding to the pile of injured players is Joey Lucchesi, Jordan Yamamoto, and Thomas Szapucki who each have been diagnosed with season-ending injuries. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the Mets recently placed baseball’s best pitcher, Jacob deGrom, on the 10-day IL with right forearm tightness. DeGrom joins David Peterson who is also on the 10-Day IL with an oblique strain.
Despite the injuries, the first-place Mets have kept their heads above water and hold a healthy four-game lead in the NL East. The team has also began adding reinforcements by acquiring veteran starter Rich Hill from the Rays on Friday.
It’s a good start, but there’s still work to be done to reload a depleted rotation.
Adding Jon Gray makes too much sense for the Mets to pass
Among the sellers at the upcoming July 30 trade deadline will be the Rockies.
Colorado has big names like Trevor Story and German Marquez who will receive plenty of attention, but a less costly option for the Mets to pursue is right-hander Jon Gray.
A former third-overall pick in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft, Gray has posted a bounce-back campaign after a 6-plus ERA and career worsts across the board last summer.
In 17 starts this season, Gray owns a 3.68 ERA, 1.215 WHIP (career low), and an 8.4 K/9 rate through 93 innings pitched.
The 29-year-old will earn $6 million in 2021 before hitting the free-agent market in the offseason. Since he’d only be a rental for the remaining two months, the asking price should not be as high nor should the risk of future pieces for the Mets.
If New York does decide to roll the dice in the upcoming weeks, it could be for this player.