3 pitchers the NY Mets can trade for to make the 2024 playoffs
By James Nolan
In 1969 and 1986 when the New York Mets captured their only two World Series titles, they had an elite pitching staff. The organization has reached the postseason three times since 2015, and all of those times they had a strong starting rotation as well.
Historically when the Mets do well, it’s because of the pitching. With that being said, in 2024 New York needs to come out with better pitching, as they had 4.31 team ERA in 2023, which ranked 19th in MLB.
Mets owner Steve Cohen banked on Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to be the team's aces, and it didn’t pay off at all. Both are now pitching for new teams in the LCS, but New York did acquire a few elite prospects in return.
New York did bring in Kodai Senga from the NPB in Japan last offseason, which paid off vastly. In his first season with the Mets, he pitched to a 12-7 record with a 2.98 ERA. The 30-year-old asserted himself as a top pitcher in the National League in 2023, but New York needs more.
The Mets have a few solid trade chips at their disposal to get a pitcher or two. Former NL Batting Champion Jeff McNeil's name has been thrown out there as a potential trade candidate, and they also have a ton of intriguing prospects in their farm system.
Cohen hired David Stearns as President of Baseball Operations to fix the problems with this team, and one of the biggest issues right now is the pitching. With just one reliable option right now, here are three pitchers the Mets can trade for over the offseason to make the 2024 playoffs: