If 2017 has been an indicator of anything, it’s that you can never have enough pitching.
Going into the season with Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz all healthy, pitching should have been the least of the team’s worries, so was thought.
Even if one or two went down, Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo who had much success at the end of 2016, could plug right in.
And maybe Rafael Montero could rebound, giving us eight quality starting pitching options.
Well, it didn’t exactly turn out that way, as the injury bug bit just about every one of the aforementioned pitchers except deGrom, Gsellman and Montero, the latter of two have struggled mightily at times this season.
With that being said, the Mets should consider going out and getting external starting pitching help this offseason.
When adversity presented itself in 2017, the Mets had to resort to starting the likes of Adam Wilk and Tommy Milone, neither of which had favorable results.
In the minors, the only two pitchers that are major league ready are Tyler Pill and perhaps P.J. Conlon, so if the Mets experience similar injuries in 2018, we are back to where we are this year.
While the Mets almost positively won’t go out and sign the likes of Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish or Johnny Cueto this offseason, there are several names New York can consider to deepen their starting pitching corps and give them serviceable options in case of injury.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
LANCE LYNN
Lance Lynn missed the entirety of the 2016 season due to Tommy John surgery, but from 2012-15, the right-hander tossed a minimum of 175 innings each season and hit over 200 in both 2013 and 2014.
Lynn, 30, has had an up-and-down season thus far in 2017, pitching to a 5-5 record with a 3.86 ERA, but has pitched to a winning record in each full season he’s had.
In 2012, the righty went 18-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 35 games (29 started) while appearing in his first All-Star game. The next two seasons, he won 15 games a piece and then 12 in 2015 before he went under the knife.
While there are always complications in returning from Tommy John Surgery, a pitcher like Lynn would provide a serviceable workhorse at the back of the rotation, while having the potential to put up some quality outings.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
JEREMY HELLICKSON
Pitching out in Philadelphia the last few years has been rough with the Phillies going through their rebuild, but Jeremy Hellickson has been one of their bright spots.
In 2016, the right-hander pitched to a 12-10 record with a 3.71 ERA in 32 games started.
With the Phillies dwelling in the cellar yet again in 2017, the team will most likely sell off even more of their players to continue working towards the future.
On the block is Hellickson, who will most likely go to a team looking for a starter as they gear up for the playoff push.
However, the 30-year-old is a free agent after this season and is one of the more appealing second-tier options.
For his career, Hellickson has compiled a 66-63 record across eight big league seasons, with a 3.94 ERA, 4.40 FIP and 6.6 K/9.
MICHAEL PINEDA
Michael Pineda is a complicated case, because at times he looks in complete control out there as he deals, and at others, he is the opposite.
The current Bronx Bomber has compiled a 7-4 record with a 4.12 ERA in the 2017 season and will take his talents to the open market this winter.
He has a career ERA of .401 and a FIP of .355, making him a nice back-end option for the Mets rotation and worth the risk on a short term pact.
Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle and Pineda goes out there and provides the high upside quality the Yankees thought they were getting when they acquired him from the Seattle Mariners several years ago.
If not, he’s your fifth starter in case of injury and pitches similar to how he regularly does.
What is perhaps the most appealing about Pineda is his strikeout capability. In 2016, Pineda led the league with a 10.6 K/9 and has an average K/9 of 9.2 for his career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
JAIME GARCIA
Jaime Garcia is pitching for the rival Atlanta Braves this year in his first season outside of St. Louis.
The southpaw spent the first eight years of his career with the Redbirds before coming over in a four-player deal back in December.
Garcia, 31, has a career record of 64-50 in nine big league seasons with a 3.61 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 7.2 K/9 and 1.28 WHIP.
For Atlanta this season, Garcia has been one of the better starters, but has compiled just a 2-5 record with a 4.03 ERA in 14 games started as the Braves like the Phillies continue to rebuild.
Honorable mentions:
Chris Tillman, Alex Cobb, Tyler Chatwood, Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill are additional free agents that could fill in at the back end of the rotation.
While there are hopes that the Mets can go out there in 2018 and keep all their starters healthy, history has said otherwise the last few years and especially in 2017.
Realistically, you don’t know what you’re getting from Matt Harvey next season. Noah Syndergaard is a question mark, Zack Wheeler has had his ups-and-downs and Steven Matz has missed a decent amount of time with injuries since making his debut in 2015.
The Mets should at least go into camp next season with a couple guys they pickup off the free agent market, because like I said: pitching is so unpredictable.
