Mets Not Giving Up On Starting Pitching: "Engaged In A Ton" of Talks

The New York Mets have a pitching problem. Jacob deGrom missed half the season with recurring issues on his pitching side, Carlos Carrasco has undergone surgery this offseason to remove bone fragments from his pitching elbow, Marcus Stroman is a free agent being courted by many, and Noah Syndergaard is already gone, having signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

So it's no surprise to hear new general manager Billy Eppler insist that he's “engaged in a ton of starting pitching right now."

From the obvious (they need pitching) to the creative (they're willing and able to take on an undesirable contract to add prospect depth)...@Mets GM Billy Eppler on his team's winter plans: pic.twitter.com/AzLivPXcyR
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 24, 2021

"The depth of starting pitchers that we're using in any given year is something that is engrained in my mind," explained Eppler during an interview on MLB Network Radio this week. "And it has guided my approach this winter. I'm engaged in a ton of starting pitching right now."

And according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, they're focused on three top free agent starters, starting with Max Scherzer.

Mets seem determined to add a very top starting pitcher, and the order of preference seems to be 1. Scherzer, 2. Gausman, 3. Ray. Chances for Mets to land Max may be iffy though; he preferred SoCal as summer trade piece and winning is key for him. Stroman, others also of interest
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 26, 2021

Also on the Mets' list: Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray. Their own free agent Marcus Stroman is also still on their radar.

Eppler went on to lament the fact that players obtained in the draft, or internationally, take a "long time to develop", so he's looking at "avenues to go grab contracts elsewhere, and tie prospects to them."

That sounds like he's looking deeply into trades, and even willing to take on a bad contract to get it done.

There are a number of quality pitchers that seem to be on the trade market this winter. The Oakland A's have made Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea available, the Cincinnati Reds are talking bout dealing Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, while the Miami Marlins have some of their riches of young pitchers available.

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