In the middle of Thursday's New York Mets game, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that MLB teams have expressed interest in acquiring righty Paul Blackburn amid New York's upcoming rotation logjam. New York's rotation has been arguably the best in the sport so far this year, and that's without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas throwing a single pitch.
Well, Kodai Senga's injury might've just taken Blackburn off the trade block for good. Senga suffered a hamstring injury, causing him to leave his latest masterpiece prematurely. Not only was Senga's outing cut short, but he's already wound up on the IL. The Mets don't know the severity of his strain yet, but chances are it'll be at least several weeks before we see Senga, the NL leader in ERA, back on the mound in a regular-season game.
With Senga out of the mix for a while, Blackburn is the clear candidate to replace him in the rotation for the time being. This makes him a player that the Mets can't afford to trade right now, if ever.
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Paul Blackburn went from luxury to necessity in an eyeblink
Blackburn missed the first two months of the season due to injury woes of his own, but hasn't had much of a role on this Mets roster since being activated. He started his first appearance of the year in a game in which New York needed a a sixth starter and threw five scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was moved to the bullpen afterward. He's made just one appearance since relocating to the 'pen, throwing the final four innings of a blowout win against the Colorado Rockies.
Blackburn's new role was that of a long reliever who'd be used sparingly, but now, suddenly, he's likely to replace Senga in the rotation. It goes without saying that trading a player who was seen as a luxury is a lot easier than trading a player seen as a necessity.
Kodai Senga's injury shows how important starting pitching depth is
What's most impressive about this Mets season thus far is that their pitching has led the way for the most part. Senga has been the best the Mets have to offer, but they lead the Majors in overall ERA and rotation ERA. The Mets have three starters who have made at least 13 starts and posted a sub-3.00 ERA. They have five starters who have made at least 13 starts with a sub-3.80 ERA. They have a bonafide ace in Senga, but they have five trustworthy starters.
The Mets have had the best pitching in the game by all measures, and that's with last year's ace, Manaea, and their second-most expensive starting pitcher, Montas, combining for a grand total of zero starts. Even adding Blackburn to that mix brings their total to one start. The Mets have a slew of viable rotation options, which is vital for getting through 162 games.
Had the Mets traded Blackburn when they didn't need him, they might've been in a tough spot now. Manaea and Montas are still not ready to contribute at the MLB level as they work their way back from injuries, so New York likely would've had to rely on one of their rookies at the Triple-A level to take Senga's spot. Blackburn might not be an ace, but he's proven he can be a decent No. 5 starter at the very least.
At the end of the day, it's so hard to expect starting pitchers to get through a full 162-game schedule plus the postseason nowadays. Injuries of any kind have become so common. You need depth to get through the grind; the Mets built their roster prioritizing that depth for a reason.
A trade of Blackburn could've been feasible had everyone stayed healthy, but that would've been a lot to ask for. The Mets are fortunate to have him aboard.