Sep 14, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches the ball against Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Chris Sale (NL)

Sale’s Wednesday night Cy Young win caps off an incredible comeback year for the 35-year-old from Lakeland, Florida. This is his first Cy Young Award win, earning 26 first-place votes and four second-place votes, totaling 198 points in total. Along with winning the Cy Young, Sale also took home the Triple Crown award in the NL with his league-leading wins (18), ERA (2.38 ERA), and strikeouts (225).

Sale instantly became a great comeback story in the 2024 major league season. After spending the majority of the last four years on the injured list, many assumed a full season from Sale would be farfetched. But then 2024 happened and Sale unprecedently put up a phenomenal, classic, Sale-like season that resembled his days as a starter with the White Sox.

The numbers he put up in Atlanta were outstanding. In 29 games, Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA,  225 punchouts, and a WHIP of 1.01 in 177 2/3 innings.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Sale is now 138-83 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 2,414 in 1,958 1/3 innings and has a career 1.04 WHIP.

Sale was drafted in 2010 in the first round to the Chicago White Sox out of Florida Gulf Coast University. He spent his first seven seasons with Chicago before switching his white socks for red socks when he was traded from Chicago to the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 trade that sent him east. He spent the next seven seasons with the Red Sox before he was traded again, back to the National League and the Atlanta Braves, where he spent 2024.

Sale is no stranger to being a Cy Young award finalist. From 2012-2018, he was a finalist for the award, placing between second to eighth in the voting. 2024, as mentioned above is his first award win.

Sale beats out Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom, Paul Skenes,  and Phillies’ right-handed pitcher, Zack Wheeler

“I’m glad it worked out this way because I feel like I’m able to appreciate this moment right now,” Sale said. “I can’t stress enough about everybody who helped me get here.”

Mets’ left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea placed eleventh, earning one fifth-place vote in the 2024 NL Cy Young Award voting.

Tarik Skubal (American League)

Skubal’s 28^th birthday became even more special as he was named the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner, winning the award unanimously.

In a 2024 breakout season, Skubal was 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA. In 31 games started and 192 innings, he struck out 228 and had a WHIP of 0.92. He led the Tigers to an appearance in the playoffs with the season that he had.

Over the course of his career, all with the Detroit Tigers, Skubal is 41-31 with a 3.37 ERA, 648 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP.

Skubal beats out former Met, and now Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher, Seth Lugo and Cleveland Guardians elite closer, Emmanuel Clase, who many thought also had a good chance to walk away with this year’s award.

With winning the 2024 Cy Young award, the 28-year-old birthday boy became the third unanimous winner in a row.

This was just the third time in the history of the Cy Young award that a pair of left-handed pitchers have taken home the honors.

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Former Met and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is reportedly a couple of weeks behind schedule and his timetable is TBA at the moment, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Verlander also had a delayed start to his 2023 season due to an upper back/shoulder issue, which seems to be ailing him this year as well. 

The three-time Cy Young award winner said he was going about his regular routine before shutting down. “When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while, and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.

While it does not seem like a major injury, any time that Verlander misses for the Astros could play in the Mets’ favor. The Mets could be on the hook for $17.5 million if the 40-year old reaches the 140 innings pitched threshold, which would kick in his vesting option for the 2025 season.

Justin Verlander. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News 

The New York Mets officially announced the signing of flame-throwing reliever Shintaro Fujinami to a one-year deal. In a corresponding move, Ronny Mauricio will be moved to the 60-day IL after tearing his ACL in the offseason.

ESPN has picked up two of the Mets’ spring training games, both against the Yankees, on March 5 at 1 P.M. and March 22 at 5 p.m., per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. 

Kodai Senga hinted at the potential of debuting a new pitch this upcoming season. Hear what Senga had to say as he addressed the media on Wednesday. 

MLB Network released their next batch of players for their top 100 players right now list; Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor found themselves on the list. Click here to see where they landed!

Latest MLB News

The Cincinnati Reds announced the passing of Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Don Gullet. Gullet spent 24 years with the Reds as a player, coach, and minor league instructor.

Former Mets star pitcher Jacob deGrom said that he started to throw on Monday and threw again on Wednesday as he starts to ramp up, per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today. 

The New York Yankees acquired LHP Clayton Andrews from the Brewers, and in return sent RHP Joshua Quezada, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The Oakland Athletics announced that they have signed LHP Scott Alexander to a one-year contract for the 2024 season. 

The Philadelphia Phillies officially announced their signing of RHP Spencer Turnbull, to make room for him they DFA’d RHP McKinley Moore. 

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that free agent relief pitcher Liam Hendriks is setting a deadline of Thursday (today) to sign with a team. If he does not sign by then, he will take time to rehab from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run. 

The Yankees agreed to a deal with relief pitcher Lou Trivino, per Andy Martino of SNY. Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported that it is for $1.5 million with a club option of $5 million for 2025. 

Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies have started negotiations on a potential contract extension, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Wheeler says that he hopes it’s done before the end of Spring, mentioning how he loves it in Philly. 

The Chicago White Sox signed 35-year-old Mike Moustakas to a minor league deal, the team announced.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that reliever Scott Effross will be out until the summer after undergoing back surgery in December. 

Left-handed relief pitcher Josh Fleming agreed to a one-year, major league split contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, per Robert Murray of FanSided. If he is in the majors, Fleming would receive $850,000.

The San Francisco Giants signed RHP Austin Warren to a one-year major league contract and placed LHP Robbie Ray on the 60-day IL as he recovers from left elbow UCL surgery. 

Latest on MMO

Take a look at the new faces at Mets spring training. 

Check out MMO’s non-roster invitee preview of RHP Christian Scott.

Could Thor be coming back to Queens? Christian De Block did a Free Agent Profile looking into the possibility of the Mets brining back Noah Syndergaard.

On This Date in Mets History

2011: The New York Mets sign relief pitcher Jason Isringhausen to a minor league contract. Isringhausen was a part of the infamous “Generation K” and was with the club up until 1999 after being drafted by the Mets in 1991. He made 53 appearances and saved his 300th game for his original club in 2011.

Birthdays: Mark Canha (35), Barry Jones (61), Chuck Estrada (86)

The post Morning Briefing: Verlander ‘Behind Schedule,’ Dealing with Shoulder Issue appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Position: SP B/T: R/L
Age: 36 (03/25/1987)

2023 Traditional Stats: 11 G, 52 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.288 WHIP, 3-3, 38 SO, 14 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 123 ERA+, 17.0% SO%, 6.3% BB%, 3.93 xERA, 4.91 FIP, 4.41 xFIP, 0.4 fWAR, 0.4 bWAR

RUNDOWN

36-year-old South Korean native Hyun-jin Ryu is almost five years removed from a career-best season that saw him leading the league in ERA (2.32), ERA+ (179) and BB/9 (1.2). He finished the 2019 season, his final as a Dodger, second in Cy Young voting, an All-Star and with MVP votes.

He followed up his 2019 season with another superb 2020 season in Toronto, finishing third in Cy Young voting and 13th in MVP voting. However, the injury bug plagued him his final three years in Toronto, culminating in Tommy John surgery during the 2022 season. 

Ryu returned to the rotation in August 2023 and showed promise. However, his fastball, offspeed and breaking velocity are all down from previous years. He throws a healthy amount of fastballs, changeups, cutters and curveballs, with the occasional sinker. While his velocity is down, a promising sign is that his hard rate percentage is down from recent years. At 37.1%, it’s the lowest since his 2020 season and ranked in the 65th percentile.

The left-hander projects to be a fourth or fifth-spot option in a rotation. While the velocity and injury track record is something to watch, Ryu returned from Tommy John surgery in just over a year. Recovery time can take up to 18 months to return to full strength, so it’ll be interesting to see what Ryu’s pitches look like come spring. Either way, he is a valuable asset to any rotation, especially if he reinvents himself.

CONTRACT

Fangraph’s crowd-sourced projections have Ryu landing a one-year deal at around $10 million. As mentioned, Ryu will most likely slide into a rotation in a backend spot, either fourth or fifth. To put this number into perspective, here are a few examples of what other pitchers in similar roles signed for this offseason:

• 36-year-old Kenta Maeda: two years, $24 million
• 36-year-old Lance Lynn: one year, $11 million
• 36-year-old Kyle Gibson: one year, $13 million

A one-year deal is all Ryu will receive this offseason from any team. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Ryu has plenty to prove. While he’s nowhere near the ace he once was with the Dodgers, his 3.46 ERA in six 2023 starts proves there’s hope left.

RECOMMENDATION

The starting pitcher market is getting thinner in the final month before spring training. With the Mets not entertaining the idea of Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, one-year deals are the way to go. The Mets’ starting pitching depth is depleted and would benefit from additional signings.

Ryu isn’t who Mets fans expected to target going into the offseason, but reports indicate that the Mets have interest. With David Peterson out for the foreseeable future, Ryu would fit in as nicely, filling out the fifth spot in the rotation. He also gives the Mets another lefty, Jose Quintana the other.

Queens is a sensible destination for Ryu, who can reestablish himself. Also, if the Mets find themselves out of contention come summer, Ryu can act as a trade piece.

The post Free Agent Profile: Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Major League Baseball continues in its efforts to minimize the time of games after rapid improvement in the area following the adaptation of the pitch clock in the 2023 season. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the MLB’s competition committee has proposed reducing the pitch clock from 20 seconds to 18 seconds when runners are on base next season, while keeping the 15-second timer for when the bases are clear. The goal of said proposition is to reverse a late-season trend that saw the average time of game increase by 7 minutes. Along with hearing out this proposition, the competition committee was also proposed the idea of cutting the mound visits allowed from five to four.

Passan notes that there have been concerns voiced from players about continued reduction of the pitch clock timer due to their belief that it is resulting in increased injuries among pitchers. However, MLB continues to deny that as they do not believe there is any correlation between the two. The league ultimately has near full reign over rule changes as teams hold the majority of seats on the competition committee, which was formed during the 2022 collective bargaining agreement negotiations. 

The competition committee can implement a change to on-field rules with 45 days’ notice to players after a proposal. Passan reports that the players are currently discussing said proposal and are expected to go to the committee with potential adjustments. 

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga finished in seventh place in the National League Cy Young Award race for the 2023 season, as the results were announced on Wednesday night. The rookie received three third-place votes as well as three fourth-place votes. 

Mets new manager Carlos Mendoza appeared on the “Foul Territory” podcast on Wednesday to talk about his new role with the club. During the interview, Mendoza talked about his building of the coaching staff as he mentioned that they are in the very early stages of the hiring process and that he’s going over many names with the front office. Along with that, he also mentioned how he’s been reaching out to many current Mets including Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso. 

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Kodai Senga has “made it clear” to the Mets that he wants them to bring Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Along with that, Martino also mentioned how while the Mets and Yankees are interested in the star pitcher, it is far from a two team race as he could be posted “any day”.

Latest MLB News

The Cy Young Award winners in each league were announced Wednesday night; Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees won the award in the American League while Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres took the award in the National League. Snell won the second Cy Young award of his career and becomes the seventh pitcher to win the award in both leagues as he won it in the AL with the Rays in 2018. Gerrit Cole won the first Cy Young of his career as he was voted unanimously, receiving all 30 first place votes.

Major League Baseball has tendered a status check on 2022 KBO MVP Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes and LG Twins closer Go Woo-suk, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. Yoo mentions how this is just a formal administrative check that the league must take before signing a Korean player. 

Adam Plutko, who has played his last two season in Korea, is looking to return to MLB as he is now a free agent, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran starting pitcher has posted two back-to-back sub 2.50 ERA seasons, 2.39 and 2.41 in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while holding his opponents to a .596 OPS over the two year span.

The Los Angeles Angels introduced their newest manager, Ron Washington, on Wednesday as they held his introductory press conference at Angels Stadium. Washington did not mince words as he came out and said, “Our whole focus will be to run the West down. You can take that to the bank and deposit it.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reported to be among the most interested teams in star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Although, Morosi mentions that his posting window has yet to formally open. The Dodgers weren’t the only team with reported interest, to see a deeper dive into the reports on Yamamoto click here.

Rickie Weeks was hired as associate manager for the Milwaukee Brewers as new manager Pat Murphy is starting to fill out his coaching staff. Weeks played second base in parts of 11 season for the Brewers while making one all-star appearance during his time in Milwaukee.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers’ TV deals could be dropped by Diamond Sports group. Diamond currently has 11 deals in place with MLB teams but a wind-down plan for the company was approved by a United States federal judge on Wednesday as they look to close up their bankruptcy proceedings. 

MLB Network is releasing a new documentary of George Brett, titled “Brett”, which will premier on Thursday, December 7th at 8 P.M. EST. The documentary will feature interviews with George Brett, footage from his iconic career, and insight from teammates and many of those close with Brett. 

The Tampa Bay Rays have hired Buddy Carlyle as their pitching coordinator, per Eno Sarris of The Athletic. Carlyle had just been recently let go of by the Los Angeles Angels after serving as their minor league pitching coordinator. 

In other baseball news, the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League have announced that Lew Ford will take over as their seventh manager in franchise history. Ford, who is taking over for Wally Backman, has played a franchise record thirteen seasons in Long Island including playing the last nine as a player/coach. 

Latest on MMO

Metsmerized Online is teaming up with Out of the Park Baseball to create “Mets Madness”! The Metsmerized staff will try to answer the age old question of which Mets team is truly the best. Check out the first round of matchups here.

Evan Mazza did a complete breakdown of Carlos Mendoza‘s introductory press conference as New York Mets manager. 

MMO reader/moderator Tommets submitted a Fan Shot of what the Mets course of action should be this off-season. 

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The New York Mets unveil their original logo which was created by cartoonist Ray Gotto. The logo contains the New York skyline while also featuring the colors of blue and orange to represent the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants.

Birthdays: Juan Centeno (34), Mark Corey (49), Dwight Gooden (59), Don Hahn (75), Leon Brown (75)

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The 30-year-old has allowed two earned runs or less in 19 of his 27 starts. To take it a step further, he has allowed one earned run or less in 12 of his 27 starts this season. Players across the league spent the month of April adjusting to the new aspects of baseball, including Senga. He finished that month with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.577 WHIP through a total of 26 innings pitched.

Kodai Senga. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

But ever since then, Senga has been one of the best and most effective pitchers in all of baseball. His forkball has been nearly untouchable, as opponents are hitting just .112 with a .132 slugging percentage against that pitch. Senga has yet to surrender a home run with his forkball, and a total of three extra base hits (all doubles) have come against his most dominant weapon.

Senga already has six starts this season of at least six innings pitched with two hits or fewer allowed, tied for the single-season franchise record with Sid Fernandez. Pretty remarkable for a team that has employed the likes of Tom Seaver, Jacob deGrom, Dwight Gooden, and more when they were at their most dominant.

On Sep. 14, Senga threw six scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which lowered his ERA below 3.00 for the first time since Apr. 8. He is now one of five starting pitchers with a sub 3.00 ERA, including Blake Snell (2.43) of the San Diego Padres, Justin Steele (2.73) of the Chicago Cubs, Gerrit Cole (2.81) of the New York Yankees and Sonny Gray (2.84) of the Minnesota Twins. Senga is in really good company and he may only be just scratching the surface of his potential at this point.

Senga is 11-7 with a 2.95 ERA, but despite having great numbers, it looks fairly unlikely that he is going to be the recipient of the 2023 National League Cy Young award. On DraftKings, he is tied with Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the eighth-shortest odds at +15000. On FanDuel, he is tied with Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants for the third shortest odds at +7000. In some years, Senga’s rookie campaign would be good enough to win the Cy Young. But given the way Snell has performed for the Padres, it looks all but wrapped up at this point for the experienced left-hander.

Still, the Mets have to be thrilled about what Senga has accomplished this season, and will use him as a building block of their team as they attempt to get back into contention in 2024.

The post Kodai Senga’s Rookie Season Has Been Even Better Than Mets Could Have Hoped appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Senga, who has 11.07 strikeouts per nine innings this season, set the tone early with 10 strikeouts in his first five innings. He only allowed one hit during this time, a single to former Mets outfielder Tommy Pham.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

It took Senga until the sixth inning to show signs of being a human, when he walked two consecutive batters to load the bases with two outs. Luckily for Senga, he was able to escape trouble by generating a sharp lineup from Christian Walker that had an exit velocity of 103.6 mph.

Phil Bickford replaced Senga to begin the seventh inning.

Senga’s final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

This performance ties him with former Mets’ pitcher Sid Fernandez for the single-season team record of six outings with six innings pitched and two or fewer hits allowed.

Despite putting up a commendable performance, Senga was not satisfied with the length he provided.

After the game, he said (through a translator), “To be honest, I wanted to go to the 7th and get through the 7th. I think that will continue my season into next year, I think it would develop me a lot.”

As a rookie who came from Japan, the Mets have adopted a very passive philosophy with their usage of Senga by making their best effort to allot him six days of rest in between starts to mimic his previous workload. That said, Senga likely had a little more energy left in the tank after throwing 103 pitches through six innings. On the flip side, the Mets are not in a pennant race, so a conservative approach to conclude Senga’s season can be seen as a way to ensure that he is healthy for the 2024 season.

Senga’s ghost forkball was extremely effective in this outing and has continued to be one of the best pitches in baseball this season. He used it 38 times, the most out of his repertoire, and he generated 11 whiffs on 19 swings with four called strikes (CSW% of 39 percent). Also, his fastball was very potent on Thursday, as he used it 33 times with an average spin rate of 2339 rpm, which is 63 units higher than his year average.

After this outing, Senga now has a 2.95 ERA for the season, with 191 strikeouts in 155 1/3 innings. When examining this from the perspective of the Mets, Senga has undoubtedly earned every penny of his $15 million salary by establishing himself as a useful piece. Not only has he been a revelation for the Mets, but he has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the entire league, with his 2.95 ERA ranking fourth among qualified starting pitchers this season.

All things considered, Senga has gained more traction in the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award conversations. Currently, Senga ranks fifth in the MLB for strikeouts per nine innings among qualified starting pitchers. While other pitchers are ahead of him in this statistic and others, he still has a chance to finish this season strong and surpass his competitors in the rankings.

He remained humble when asked for his opinion on his ability to take home the Rookie of the Year Award.

“I have no idea,” he said in a humorous tone.

Senga has a professional and likable demeanor to match his pitching prowess. The Mets hit the jackpot when they signed the Japanese pitcher to a five-year contract this past offseason. He seems to get better every time he pitches, so it will be exciting to see what he can accomplish going forward.

The post Kodai Senga Should Be In Cy Young Contention appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When Jacob deGrom departed for Texas, it was hard to envision the Mets would be able to fill a void that large at the top of their rotation.

However, just two days later, they signed Justin Verlander, and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has looked the part of the co-ace who can help this team win their first World Series in 37 years.

Verlander took the mound for his third start of the spring on Wednesday, and he put together his most dominant start yet. He threw five scoreless innings against the Cardinals, allowing just one hit while striking out eight. In just 71 pitches, Verlander induced 12 swings and misses, including seven on his fastball.

After a Cy Young 2022 campaign, Verlander has showed no signs of slowing down to this point. In 11 1/3 innings this spring, Verlander has allowed just six hits and two runs with 16 strikeouts. He has also not allowed a single walk this spring.

With Verlander and Max Scherzer at the top of the rotation, the Mets appear to be just as dangerous as they were in 2022 when they won 101 games. Verlander was not shy when asked about winning a championship in New York following his outing.

“I’m not afraid to talk about winning a championship,” Verlander said. “I think establishing a culture where you expect to win a championship is important. You should be able to talk about it. That’s what we’re all here for. You don’t shy away from it.”

Justin Verlander on winning a championship with the Mets:

"For this organization particularly that has been close a couple of times recently and hasn't quite gotten over the hump in awhile, that has a wonderful fan base, those are the stories that live forever."

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 15, 2023

The future Hall-of-Famer is no stranger to the World Series. In his rookie year in 2006, his Detroit Tigers made it to the World Series only to fall short to the Cardinals team that broke Mets fans’ hearts just prior. Six years later, Verlander and the Tigers made it back. Verlander had just won the Cy Young and MVP the year prior, and he ended up just four points behind David Price in the voting to win a second consecutive Cy Young. Despite being at the top of his game, the Tigers were swept by the San Francisco Giants.

It wasn’t until 2017 that Verlander made it back to the World Series, this time as a member of the Houston Astros. In his time in Houston, the Astros were World Series regulars. They won the American League pennant in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022, and won it all in 2017 and 2022.

Verlander is now a two-time World Series champion, and while another championship will look great on his resume, he isn’t one of those veteran players who is searching for his elusive first championship. Despite having two rings, he knows winning in New York is a different animal.

“I was talking to David Robertson about the Yankees’ World Series win, what the parade was like,” Verlander said. “Obviously in that city, it’s iconic.”

At age 40, Verlander’s time with the Mets most likely won’t be a very long-term partnership as Father Time is still undefeated. Even if his time in New York is just the two years he is currently signed for, he will go down in Mets history if he helps bring a World Series title back to Queens.

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He won two Cy Young Awards with the Minnesota Twins while solidifying himself as the premiere starting pitcher in baseball. The Mets were intent on avenging a late-season collapse in 2007 and a major off-season acquisition would go a long way. For GM Omar Minaya, Santana was the solution.

Sending away top center field prospect Carlos Gomez plus minor leaguers Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey, Minaya and the Twins agreed to a trade that resonated both in Queens and throughout the major league landscape on this day in 2008. Two days later, under a deadline to close a contract, the Mets and the left-handed ace sealed a six-year, $137.5 million dollar deal.

A team clouded with question marks in the wake of colossal disappointment was suddenly a World Series contender again. New York’s new ace fit the description well in his first year — leading the National League in ERA, games started, and innings pitched while eclipsing 200 strikeouts for the fifth straight time and ending with a team-best 7.2 bWAR. He would end up third in the Cy Young Award voting.

The Mets, though, couldn’t shake another rough September, which ultimately had them on the outside of the playoff picture. Santana did his best to prevent it with a performance in a must-win situation which may be his best ever as a Met.

On the penultimate day of the regular season, Santana fought through a bad left knee to pitch a complete-game three-hitter against the Florida Marlins before a packed house at a soon-to-be-closed Shea Stadium.

Dominant performances would be less frequent and an injured Santana became far too common. Starting in 2009, he never reached 30 starts or 200 innings again. Santana proved to be perpetually fragile with the Mets after being extremely durable during his time in Minnesota. Despite the constant ailments, he produced a three-year ERA+ of 143 from ’08 through 2010.

Unfortunately, Santana missed all of 2011 and 2013. Throughout his time in New York, appearances on the mound were fewer than any Met fan would’ve wanted. When he was pitching, he was still pretty good — if not great. Santana’s Mets career amounted to a 46-34 record over four years with a 3.18 ERA and 1.201 WHIP in 109 starts.

No fan will ever forget the three-hit shutout in ’08. But then came June 1, 2012 — to this day, 60 years in, the only solo no-hitter by a New York Mets pitcher.

For that game alone, in spite of injuries that held him back, the trade is a signature moment.

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This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. We’ve highlighted four pitchers so far, one of which is heading for Cooperstown and another who’s already there. Next is another pitcher who also has a Hall plaque who was one of the greatest pitchers of his era before arriving in New York.

It’s not about what he did, it’s about what came after him.

Pedro Martínez was, in many ways, a precursor, to Max Scherzer: a three-time Cy Young winner and Hall of Fame-bound pitcher on the back end of his career who portends future significant acquisitions.

Martínez was 33 and coming off a curse-breaking World Series title with the Boston Red Sox. The best days, at times historically great, were clearly in his past. But Mets fans were definitely granted glimpses of vintage Pedro, especially in 2005 — which turned out to be his only great season in New York.

The most significant effect of the signing was that it rejuvenated a fan base that had seen three dreadful seasons in a row and created an influx of talent that followed him, most notably Carlos Beltrán later that offseason. It’s a guarantee that without Pedro, there would be no Beltrán.

The first major deal for general manager Omar Minaya, at four years and $53 million, brought instant credibility for an organization devoid of such credit. And Martínez’s presence on the mound created a buzz around his starts, especially at Shea Stadium.

Even though he had yet to reach his mid-30s, Martínez — with a slight frame that belied his overpowering stuff — had logged 200 or more regular season innings in six of the past eight years (not counting his multiple playoff appearances). Yet he was able to throw 217 more in 2005, the name number he tallied in ’04.

In another All-Star season, Martínez had a league-leading 0.95 WHIP — the sixth time he led his league in that category and the fifth time he led the majors. Martínez won 15 games with a 2.82 ERA and 208 strikeouts. He tossed four complete games, the most for him since 2000, and topped all Mets in WAR. At 7.0, that number ranks tenth all-time in franchise history for pitchers.

His outing on September 16 at Shea Stadium may have been his best of the year, one in which Pedro fanned struck out 10 Atlanta Braves to highlight a complete-game shutout.

As the Mets improved their roster for 2006, acquiring Carlos Delgado in a trade with the Marlins, Martínez wasn’t able to maintain the zip on his fastball as the year progressed. The disparity between his heater and his curveball lessened and making him less effective than in his heyday.

He was again an All-Star but he soon was not the same Pedro from even a year ago. Injuries, to his right calf and his shoulder, were the main culprit. By the end of May, he had 88 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA. After that, his ERA was 7.10. As the Mets cruised to the NL East crown, his presence in the rotation as October would have still been invaluable, especially if he was healthy. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Martínez’s shoulder kept him out the postseason. It would be almost a year until he returned to the mound.

He made five starts at the tail end of the 2007 season and pitched to a 2.57 ERA, giving hope he could sustain this level the following year. But a strained hamstring in April put him out for over two months. He would finish out his Mets career with a 5.61 ERA over 20 starts before joining the Phillies for 2009.

Pedro Martínez initiated a new era for the Mets. Even if it wasn’t the pitcher who dominated with the Expos or Red Sox, his charisma brought about a certain excitement, not to mention other players who wanted to be part of the fun. Some signings wind up being more about the player’s appeal than the player’s performance. And that was certainly the case here. 

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This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency: their best uses of money and their worst. Number 10 was an unlikely pitcher who turned into one of the best performers during the late 1990s and early 2000s while also becoming one of the most underrated players in team history. We continue with another pitcher who pathed a unique road to stardom.  

The knuckleball is the most fascinating, and now rarest, pitch in baseball. It’s impossible to know where it will land once it leaves a pitcher’s hand. R.A. Dickey‘s career, much like that pitch he primarily used, was in considerable flux after the 2009 season.

But over a span of three years, Dickey went from minor league signee to Cy Young Award winner. In between, he led the Mets in ERA over his tenure in New York and totaled a 12.9 WAR with a 1.150 WHIP. The peak of his Cinderella story came in 2012, a year that saw him become the best pitcher in the league. Dickey topped the NL in games started, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts, and batters faced, tossed consecutive one-hitters, made his first All-Star Game, and became a 20-game winner.

With his value high and the Mets’ hopes for contention still far away, Dickey was traded to Toronto. It was a deal that brought prospects Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets system, making the payoff for this modest acquisition even more lucrative.

Dickey defied the odds by simply making it into professional baseball. Even without an ulnar collator ligament, he became a first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers. He spent parts of his first seven seasons with three clubs, during which he converted himself into a knuckleballer. Yet he wasn’t finding even modest success. So when the Mets inked the 35-year-old to a contract on December 21, 2009, the team optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo where he’d provide depth and perhaps even be a de facto coach to the younger pitchers.

When there was a hole to fill in the big-league rotation early in 2010, Dickey got the call. His age was never a concern as much as past performance. Thirty-five for an ordinary pitcher is on the older side, but like the Niekros and Charlie Hough before him, it has little effect on one who tosses a flutterball that relies on precision more than power.

Dickey pitched well right away and finished the year with 2.84 ERA. He was solid again the next year, leading the club in innings pitched. But as good as those two seasons were, they couldn’t have prepared anyone for what Dickey would do in 2012.

He won seven of his first eight decisions through May with an ERA close to 3.00. Then came June, which was especially historic. Dickey established the Mets’ franchise record for scoreless innings at 32.2 (which would eventually grow to 44.2). It was on that same night he held Tampa to one hit (and some argue it shouldn’t have even been that many).

Five days later, he somehow topped himself. Not only did he throw another one-hitter (this against Baltimore), he set a career-high in strikeouts with 13. Dickey became the only pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters with at least 10 Ks and he became the only pitcher in major league history to have five consecutive starts without giving up any earned runs and still getting at least eight strikeouts in each.

Dickey matched that career-high strikeout total on September 27 on the same occasion in which he got win No. 20. While that number remains a milestone for pitchers in spite of its depreciating value, it was his 2.73 ERA, as well as his league-leading 2330 strikeouts five complete games, and three shutouts that sinched the Cy Young.

R.A. Dickey never reached the same heights after that tremendous 2012 season, but his career was still a triumph as evidenced by his recent inclusion on the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Dickey’s success as a Met is one of the more pleasant surprises. And his unexpected rise to be the NL Cy Young winner, considering what he overcame beyond the playing field, is one of the heartwarming stories of any baseball player.

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