Surprise team could spoil Mets’ Plan A to replace Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets have officially lost ace Jacob deGrom, and they may be on their way to losing their backup plan, too.

The Mets are in a tricky situation after losing ace Jacob deGrom, one of their best pitchers. They prepared for the scenario as it was always a realistic possibility, but their backup plan of signing Carlos Rodon doesn’t seem to be so seamless as several teams are reportedly after him.

The Baltimore Orioles, in particular, are focused on pitching this offseason as they look to further develop their roster. They’ve come a long way, going from one of the worst rotations in the league to reaching much closer to average this past season.

In 2021, among all teams in the league, they had the worst ERA (5.84), worst opponent batting average (.273) and worst WHIP (1.48). Through 2022, they improved with the 14th-worst ERA (3.97), fifth-worst BAA (.256) and 12th-worst WHIP (1.29).

Of course, they still have room to grow and Rodon would help point the team in the right direction. The Mets, however, will be out of luck if Rodon is taken off the market as pitchers are slowly starting to sign to other teams.

Mets need another backup plan in case they don’t land Carlos Rodon

New York is losing options left and right, and so are other teams looking into signing pitchers. As the amount of great pitchers dwindles down, competition will likely only get tougher. The Mets need to act fast and be willing to spend if they want to lock down one of the bests, and a good starting point would be to have another plan if they miss out on Rodon.

The team, in general, has a lot to offer as they nearly clinched the NL East and made it into the postseason in 2022. While they do have a lot of room for improvement, they have the potential to be successful, which could definitely be a motivating factor for some players.

The Mets may land Rodon in the end, but the Orioles seem to be coming in strong for him and New York should be prepared for any outcome.