Even before signing Bryce Harper on Thursday, the Phillies added to their core with some shrewd acquisitions this winter. After signing Harper, the team is poised to take a run at the N.L. East crown.
So what does this mean for the Mets?
Well, it means that their competition in the division has gotten all the more fierce, and that the Mets are going to have to rely on max production from their core to hold their own in the division.
New York has done a nice job of addressing areas of need this offseason, but one area has remained untouched: the starting pitching.
The Mets’ rotation has a lot of talent, but with a couple big name arms still out there, now is the time to make a splash and solidify their starting depth even further.
Right now you have the top four of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz. Jason Vargas is slotted in at the No. 5 spot, but beyond that it gets a little dicey.
And if there’s an injury or two? The Mets could be in some trouble.
Rounding out their rotation with someone like Dallas Keuchel or Gio Gonzalez would give the Mets a huge boost and would be a nice cherry on top of an active winter.
Keuchel finished last year with a 3.74 ERA, 204.2 IP, 1.314 WHIP, 9.3 H/9, 2.6 BB/9, 6.7 K/9, as well as a 3.69 FIP, 3.84 xFIP, 2.6 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR, .300 BABIP.
The 31-year-old is not the dominant force he once was, but would still be a huge upgrade over Vargas and give the Mets some much needed insurance.
Especially in regards to Keuchel, who could be on the Phillies radar even after signing Harper, the Mets should do their best to keep him away from their N.L. East rival.
In December, the Mets acquired Edwin Diaz from the Seattle Mariners in part to keep him out of the division. New York should still be practicing that mantra and should not allow the Phillies to bolster their rotation even further.
