Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Day 3 of the Winter Meetings has been just as active as the first two with the signings of players like Andrew Heaney, Cody Bellinger, Tommy Kahnle, and with one errant tweet about Arson Aaron Judge‘s potential landing spot.
As day transitioned to night in San Diego, Billy Eppler briefly met with the media to talk about the goings on of the Mets front office.
The general manager, in responding to a question about the “mid-tier” starting pitcher market, said the Mets are paying “close attention” to remaining starters, who would round out a Mets rotation that features Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Carlos Carrasco. This mix of starters includes the likes of former Mets Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker, Kodai Senga, Jameson Taillon and others.
Additionally, Joel Sherman of the New York Post said the Mets would “like to climb to the top of the second-tier starting-pitching free-agent market by retaining Chris Bassitt.” However, Sherman noted the Mets “seem to have fixated even more on Kodai Senga and Jameson Taillon.”
In media availability today, manager Buck Showalter called Senga “impressive,” and that the team “enjoyed” their talk with the 29-year-old Japanese starter. However, SNY‘s Andy Martino reports the Mets feel Senga’s market might be getting “too expensive.”
As for Taillon, Martino says the Mets are “even deeper” on the starter, who has pitched the last two seasons with the Yankees. He’s pitched to a perfectly average 100 ERA+ each of the last two years with a 4.08 ERA while amassing over 310 innings after returning from Tommy John surgery–the second of his pro career.
Earlier Tuesday, MMO’s Mike Mayer reported the Mets have interest in Ross Stripling, as well, and Martino said the Mets could check in on Nathan Eovaldi should Senga’s and Taillon’s markets get away from them.
