Pitching depth, both in the rotation and bullpen, has been one of the main points of emphasis for the New York Mets this offseason.

Last week, acting general manager Zack Scott told reporters during his first virtual press conference that he “definitely subscribes to the ‘never can have too much pitching’ cliché.”

Pitching has begun to fly off the board, but with camps set to open up this week, the Mets still have the opportunity to upgrade or add additional depth to the back-end of their rotation. Let’s take a look at five of the free agent starters still available on the market for the Mets.

RHP Taijuan Walker

Despite teams reporting to spring training this week, 28-year old right-hander Taijuan Walker surprisingly still has not found a new home for the 2021 season.

As noted by Michael Mayer, the Mets reportedly have shown interest in Walker of late. MLB Trade Rumors projected Walker to receive a two-year deal worth $16 million, and Mayer noted the righty is said to still be seeking a multi-year deal at $10 million per year.

Walker is entering his ninth MLB season after stints with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. He struggled to stay on the mound in both 2018 and 2019, but rebounded with a solid 2020 season, posting a 2.70 ERA (his best since 2014) and 1.16 WHIP over eleven starts.

If added, Walker would likely slot in as the fifth starter behind Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman, and David Peterson.

RHP Jake Odorizzi

Following a career-best 2019 season, Jake Odorizzi bet on himself and decided to accept the Minnesota Twins qualifying offer. In the end, that decision didn’t quite work out for the veteran right-hander.

Odorizzi struggled to stay on the mound, pitching just 13.2 innings during the 2020 season. He began the season on the injured list with a back injury, and not long after returning was struck in the chest by a line drive, and was forced to miss another month.

Despite the notion of Odorizzi being ‘injury-prone,’ the 2020 season was a bit of an outlier for him. Throughout his career, ‘Odo’ has made more than 25 starts in six of his nine big league seasons. I wouldn’t expect a team to punish him much in terms of a potential contract.

MLB Trade Rumors expected Odorizzi to receive around $13 million a year at the start of the offseason. This could certainly still happen on a one-year “prove yourself” type of deal, though Odorizzi is said to be expecting a multi-year contract.

A reunion in New York with his former pitching coach Jeremy Hefner could be great for both the Mets and Odorizzi.

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

RHP Julio Teheran

The Mets certainly know Julio Teheran can be a relatively reliable starter. Teheran seemed to always dominate the Mets throughout his nine-year career with the Braves. In fact, he posted a 2.98 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in ten starts against New York.

During his tenure in Atlanta, Teheran was the Opening Day starter nearly every year and averaged a 3.70 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP over a total of 1360 total innings pitched.

Similar to Odorizzi, the 2020 season was a bit of an outlier for Teheran. He signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels and ended up making nine starts for the club and posting a 10.05 ERA.

Teheran held a showcase for teams alongside Anibal Sanchez about a month ago in Miami, and they were reportedly amongst the teams in attendance.

While the two haven’t been heavily-linked up to this point, Teheran could be a solid depth fit for the Mets. In the veteran right-hander, the Mets would be adding some stability to the back-end of the rotation. Excluding 2020, Teheran has made 30 or more starts in each of the past seven seasons.

Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

RHP Trevor Cahill

Trevor Cahill will be entering his 12th big league season after signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants in 2020. While Cahill hasn’t pitched over 200 innings in a season since 2012, it is rare for a starting pitcher to hit that threshold when they’re being pulled in the fifth inning every start.

In 2020, Cahill was in the rotation in addition to pitching out of the bullpen with San Francisco, posting a 3.24 ERA with 11.16 K/9 and a 4.19 FIP. After having an abysmal 2019 campaign, he achieved a career-high 29.2% strikeout rate in 11 appearances this past season. Cahill could be a valuable depth piece in Triple-A Syracuse along with Mike Montgomery, as both veterans have the ability to be starters and relievers.

The 6’4” right-hander is still relatively young at just 32 years old, with less than 1,500 career innings under his belt. ZiPS projects Cahill to own his highest WAR (0.4) since 2018 (2.0) and pitch 84 innings in 2021.

The Mets could be seeing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason this year, so having someone like Cahill who has pitched five years inside the NL West could give New York an edge. The Vista, California native has compiled 75 strikeouts against Dodgers hitters, who are hitting just .233/.321/.339 against him in 21 career games.

RHP Rick Porcello

Mets fans might not want Rick Porcello back after starting 12 games and posting a 5.64 ERA last season. But in this scenario, the Mets aren’t looking for Porcello to replicate his 2016 Cy Young season.

All they would want from him is to be able to step in for a small period of time if Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto struggle out of the gate as the fifth starter.

Not to excuse Porcello from the five starts where he gave up four-plus runs, but it’s important to note that Porcello didn’t receive much run support from the Mets lineup in 2020. The lineup scored four-plus runs in just three of Porcello’s starts while scoring one or zero runs in 41.6% of his starts.

Porcello, 32, may not even get a major league contract, so he could be a low-risk addition on a minor league deal just as Mike Montgomery. According to ZiPS, Porcello is projected to pitch more than 150 innings with 8.06 K/9 and is expected to be worth two Wins Above Replacement.

After his final start of the 2020 season, Porcello thanked Mets fans for their support, saying “it’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to put this jersey on, and represent the city of New York and Queens.” Perhaps Porcello will be given another shot to redeem himself as a member of his childhood team.

The post Five Free Agent Starters Mets Could Still Target appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

With billionaire Steve Cohen officially taking over ownership, a new era has finally begun for the New York Mets and it couldn’t come at a better time, as the team is looking to transform its roster into a championship contender over the offseason in hopes of making the playoffs in 2021.

While the front office must make some significant changes to the Mets’ position player group, it’s clear their top priority will be addressing the multiple vacancies in the starting rotation and they’ll need to fill those spots with quality arms as well. Since the club’s starting pitchers finished this past season with the eighth-highest ERA (5.01) in the majors, they must find a way to correct those struggles and prevent them from occurring for a second consecutive season.

Considering pitchers Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha – who were acquired last offseason to improve the rotation – struggled mightily on the mound during the 2020 campaign, team president Sandy Alderson and his staff must hit on every one of their starting pitching acquisitions this winter. That being said, this offseason’s free-agent class doesn’t feature any top-tier hurlers aside from Trevor Bauer, which means the front office will need to research extensively to locate the hidden stars on the market.

With that in mind, it appears New York has already started exploring the pitching market and some experts around the league believe they could be one of the favorites to potentially land a two-time All-Star who pitched in the 2020 World Series. Though he still hasn’t decided on his future playing career, pitcher Charlie Morton is considered one of the more desirable arms available and a recent report suggests the 36-year old could be convinced to leave the Tampa Bay Rays in the near future, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Despite declining his $15 million club option earlier this offseason, the Rays are still interested in keeping Morton around for at least one more season, as they’re reportedly willing to offer him a one-year deal worth $10 million. But if the veteran hurler demands a higher figure, then it seems he’ll likely be forced to take his services elsewhere, which could open the door for him to join the Mets.

Even though adding the 6-foot-5 pitcher would undoubtedly improve their pitching staff, his prior remarks about wanting to remain close to home, which is less than an hour away from Tropicana Field, seem to diminish his chances of playing at Citi Field next season. At this current state, outbidding every team in the majors for the New Jersey native is probably the only way to convince him to essentially come across the country. Since he’ll be turning 37-years old next month, that probably isn’t a wise decision for the organization.

Regardless of his current preference to stay in Florida, for the sake of this article, let’s say Morton displayed an interest in wearing blue pinstripes and was open to calling New York home for the 2021 campaign. Even if that happened, and it’s possible it could, the front office should still probably avoid signing the 2017 World Series champion, as he endured some concerning results this past season.

While this shortened campaign brought new challenges for every player across the major leagues, it was particularly difficult on the former Astro and those hurdles prevented him from replicating his dominating 2019 performance. Despite staying healthy and recording a career-high 6.1 fWAR rating during his inaugural season with the Rays, the right-hander missed nearly a month due to a shoulder injury and witnessed the majority of his results decline significantly.

Over his nine starts in 2020, Morton compiled 38.0 innings, producing a 4.74 ERA (1.69 increase from 2019), 3.89 xERA (0.59 increase), 3.45 FIP (0.64 increase), 4.01 xFIP (0.73 increase), 111 ERA- (increased by 42 points), 80 FIP- (increased by 16 points), 90 xFIP- (increased by 18 points), 1.39 WHIP (0.31 increase), .276 OPP AVG (16th-highest among all starters who completed at least 30.0 innings), .355 BABIP (tied for sixth-highest), 24.7% strikeout rate (5.7% decline), 25.0% whiff rate (4.6% decline), 5.9% walk rate (1.3% decline), and a 0.9 fWAR rating, according to FanGraphs.com.

Additionally, his batted ball metrics also proved to be extremely troubling compared to his 2019 performance, as he recorded a 24.8% LD rate (3.1% increase), 41.6% GB rate (6.6% decline), 33.6% FB rate (3.5% increase), 7.9% barrel rate (3.1% increase), along with a 35.1% hard-hit rate (2.3% increase).

Along with these worrisome results, Morton also sustained a slight drop in velocity, which has gradually become a major issue for him since the 2018 campaign. While there’s no question his shoulder inflammation played a factor, it’s still very concerning the former third-round pick started experiencing this problem before suffering his injury in August and couldn’t correct it after returning from the injured list.

Though his fastball and sinker were both much slower than usual this past season, the towering righty’s heater suffered a much larger decline, as its average velocity decreased from 94.7 mph in 2019 to 93.4 mph in 2020. As a result, his primary offering became a less competitive strikeout pitch and couldn’t induce as many ground balls compared to his first season with the Rays.

During the 2020 campaign, Morton utilized his low-90s fastball 35.5% of the time, producing a 30.9% strikeout rate (7.0% decrease), 25.2% whiff rate (3.7% decrease), 17.5% chase rate (4.9% decrease), 41.2% chase whiff rate (9.3% decrease), 12.7% walk rate (2.0% increase), 20.0% GB rate (6.3% decrease), 43.3% FB rate (9.1% increase), and a 33.3% LD rate (2.6% increase).

Adding to this, the Joel Barlow HS product also endured similar issues with his curveball, as it became a liability at times and couldn’t replicate its prior dominance. While his primary breaking ball didn’t suffer a decline in velocity or sustain any mechanical concerns, it still proved to be uncharacteristically ineffective and opposing hitters were able to generate a ton of hard-contact against it.

Through his 38.0 innings of work, Morton threw his curveball 32.7%, creating an 8.6% barrel rate (5.8% increase), 31.4% hard-hit rate (12.8% increase), 88.6 mph average exit velocity (5.7 mph increase), 38.7% strikeout rate (2.6% decrease), 31.0% whiff rate (7.1% decrease), 12.1% in zone whiff rate (9.0% decrease), 56.0% chase rate (3.3% decrease), 28.6% GB rate (23.4% decrease), 37.1% FB rate (19.0% increase), and a 31.4% LD rate (8.2% increase).

Based on these results, it seems that signing a pitcher who’ll be entering his age-37 season in 2021 could be extremely risky for the Mets and that’s probably not the ideal situation they’re looking for this offseason. Instead, they’d probably be better off acquiring someone who isn’t near the end of their career and could be relied on over the next couple of seasons.

Considering the front office is expected to be very aggressive this winter, there’s a strong chance they’ll be interested in almost every impact player over the next couple of months, which is something that has rarely ever happened in Queens. Whoever they add, one thing is for sure, the team’s starting rotation should take a positive step forward when baseball returns in 2021.

So just like with every offseason rumor, the fanbase should treat this latest one lightly, as it seems unrealistic that Morton will be taking the mound for the Mets next season.

The post Morton’s 2020 Season Is Reason for Concern appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On November 1st, new Mets owner, Steve Cohen, took to Twitter and asked Mets fans how their experience could be better.

Cohen received all kinds of suggestions, from having baristas at Citi Field making iced coffee beverages, to bringing back Banner Day, a Mets tradition from the Polo Grounds to the late 1980s. The MMO team decided to make things a bit easier for Mr. Cohen, assembling several ideas in this post.

Of course, the Mets experience will be infinitely better for all of us when the team operates as a big-market operation, bringing in top talent and being consistently competitive. The days of Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, and others being brought in on value contracts need to, and likely will, end. The Mets need to begin shopping in places other than thrift outlets.

As I was going through the myriad of responses to Mr. Cohen’s question about the Mets experience, this one struck me.

Post Covid I promise to make Fan Fest a great day for everybody including me

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) November 8, 2020

Many teams have winter Fan Fest events. I’ve been in Chicago on business when the Cubs Fan Fest was at the hotel where I was staying. It basically was a two-day celebration of Cubs baseball for thousands upon thousands of fans, building excitement for the following season.

The Mets had winter events at various times in their history. At one point, from the 1990s through the early 2000s, there was a caravan that would stop in various places, such as Grand Central Station. The Mets , however, never had a full winter event in a place where the masses could gather to celebrate the team, and generate excitement for the upcoming season.

Mets fans, being the passionate group, took it upon themselves to have a winter event, and created the Queens Baseball Convention, or QBC. This event would take place at McFadden’s near Citi Field, and over the years, the organizers began to draw in actual Mets talent, both current day and historical. The event was successful, and would sell out every year.

The Mets then caught on, and in January of 2020, held the first Fan Fest at Citi Field. It was a rousing success, with players available for photographs, panel discussions on topics of interest, and essentially something for everyone with attendees having the option to attend whatever appealed most to them.

The event sold out quickly, and was quite well-run. The problem is that while it helped get us hyped for the 2020 season, a global pandemic changed the landscape of baseball, delaying the season and mitigating fan attendance at games in 2020.

With new ownership, it’s nice to know that Mr. Cohen thinks Fan Fest is something that should continue. Given his sentiment in the tweet above, I have every confidence that Cohen will make Fan Fest an event not to be missed. There won’t be one for 2021, but the day will come when regular Fan Fest events will take place at Citi Field, and that’s something we can all eagerly anticipate.

In the grand scheme of things, a Fan Fest is not a top priority (as the original tweet states). Putting a winning product on the field is priority one, two, three…

I see Cohen’s position on Fan Fest as another reminder that the Mets now have a true fan as an owner. That means that we have reason to hope that fan-centric choices will be made. They won’t stop at Fan Fest. How refreshing is that?

Yes, my fellow Mets fans, we have an owner who asks us questions, acknowledges our responses, and vows to take steps to make our experience the best it can be.

A new day certainly has dawned in Flushing.

The post Steve Cohen Is A Fan Of Fan Fest appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Rick Porcello

Player Data: Age: 31, B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 12 G, 12 GS, 1-7, 59 IP, 5.64 ERA, 8.24 K/9, 2.29 BB/9, 1.508 WHIP
Advanced Stats: 75 ERA+, 3.33 FIP, bWAR 0.1, fWAR 1.7

Free Agent: 2021
2020 Salary: $10M

Grade: D

2020 Review

Going into the 2020 season, the Mets figured to have a deep rotation, featuring Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz, and a spot up for grabs, ultimately filled by rookie David Peterson. Before the season, the Mets sought to add veteran depth, to compete for the fifth spot as well as fortify the bullpen.

Rick Porcello was one of two veteran starters they brought in, along with Michael Wacha. Porcello was coming off a down year in 2019 with the Red Sox, during which he posted an ERA of 5.52 to go with his record of 14-12.

Syndergaard went down in spring training with an injury requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. Stroman opted out during summer camp, which elevated Porcello to permanent rotation spot.

Unfortunately for the Mets, who took a gamble on Porcello hoping he could return to something close to his 2016 Cy Young performance, Porcello pitched very similarly to his 2019 form.

In 2020, Porcello allowed 74 hits over his 59 innings pitched. He lasted under five innings per start, often forcing Luis Rojas to go to his bullpen early. Porcello’s ERA of 5.64 was fifth worst in MLB among starters with 50 or more innings pitched.

Porcello’s highlight for the season came on September 20 against the Braves. In that game he pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits, striking out 10 hitters. Porcello also threw a good game in Washington on August 5, going seven innings, letting up one run on five hits. His other ten starts were not nearly as effective, and the Mets posted a record of 2-10 in Porcello’s starts.

Porcello grew up a Mets fan in New Jersey, and often expressed his appreciation to have the opportunity to play for the team he rooted for as a child. He also seemed to be a good clubhouse presence. However, the $10 million the Mets paid for one year of Porcello’s services did not turn out to have a good return on investment.

2021 Outlook

Porcello is now a free agent after the 2020 season. It’s unlikely he will return to the Mets, as their organizational philosophy will likely change under new leadership, and they’ll be less inclined to bring in injured or struggling veterans on value contracts.

Since his Cy Young season in 2016, Porcello has had three bad seasons and one decent season in 2018, during which he went 17-7 with a 4.28 ERA. Porcello will be 32 years old next season, so chronologically he should still have plenty left in his tank.

However, coming off consecutive down years (ERAs of 5.52  in 2019 and 5.64 in 2020), it’s hard to imagine that Porcello will sign anywhere on a multi-year deal. He likely will sign somewhere for one season (probably for much less than his 2020 contract of $10 million), either as a candidate for a rotation or a bullpen piece.

The odds of his retuning to Queens with the Mets are low, as the Mets will likely turn elsewhere for rotation depth.

The post 2020 MMO Report Card: Rick Porcello, RHP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 2020 off season will be an active one for the Mets. There will likely be a cascading of changes, starting with ownership.

Reports are that Steve Cohen will be approved by the other owners to assume control of the Mets within the next month. There are strong rumors that Cohen will hire former Mets G.M Sandy Alderson as President of Baseball Operations. It’s fair to assume that Alderson will replace Brodie Van Wagenen, whose tenure was far from successful, with a new General Manager. So where does this leave manager Luis Rojas?

Why Rojas May Return

There are a few reasons that would support Rojas getting a return engagement as manager for the 2021 season. First, and perhaps most compelling, the 2020 season was hardly a fair measure of a manager’s aptitude. The 60-game season was unlike any other in MLB history, with new rules and imbalanced schedules, and just 37% the length of a traditional season. If that leads to a grade of “incomplete” for Rojas, it would be fair to give him a full season to demonstrate what he can do at the helm, especially considering his long tenure in the Mets’ organization.

Next, Rojas had some tough breaks to overcome in his rookie season in the manager’s chair. In March, Noah Syndergaard was shut down, ultimately requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. Just before the season began, Marcus Stroman chose to opt-out of the season. With 40% of the rotation on the shelf, Rojas began the season behind the proverbial eight ball. Things did not improve as the season went along. He may deserve a chance at managing a complete team over a full season.

Third, Rojas was given a flawed roster. The Mets had some good pieces, and led the major leagues in both batting average and on-base percentage. However, the pieces did not fit together, and Rojas had to sacrifice defense for offense. At the trading deadline, the Mets brought in Todd Frazier, who added to an already over-crowded infield, making Rojas’ job even more difficult. The Mets played the shortened 2020 season with too many infielders, and not enough quality outfielders. Before the season, the Mets added Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, who proved to be inadequate depth to protect the team from injuries in the rotation.

Why Rojas May Not Return

The first reason is a common one. When there are leadership changes, typically those new leaders replace their direct reports with their choice of people, people they know and feel they can trust. This happens in business as well as sports. With a new GM, it’s quite possible that the new GM will want to replace Rojas with a manager of his or her choosing.

Second, while Rojas had a flawed roster and a rotation weakened by injuries, his performance was nonetheless suspect at times. After games, Rojas would often say in response to questions about the team’s failure with runners in scoring position, “we are not staying with our approach, we are expanding the zone…” Isn’t it the manager’s role to reinforce the team’s expected approach? Why did it happen over and over again? This calls his leadership into question.

Third, if you watched the Mets in 2019, you saw an enthusiastic ball club. Something was missing from the 2020 team. The players were essentially the same, but the attitude was much different. The manager sets the tone for the team, and the Mets appeared flat and uninspired for much of the season. Once again, this could be perceived as an indictment of Rojas’ leadership.

The entire off season will be exciting, and there will be many moving parts. While some of the moves appear to be fairly certain, the fate of Luis Rojas remains to be seen.

Stay tuned, it should be an interesting ride.

The post What Does The Future Hold For Luis Rojas? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Don’t get me wrong — there were a number of factors behind the New York Mets finishing 26-34 and tied with the Washington Nationals for last in the National League East standings. At different times throughout 2020, it was either the offense, defense, bullpen, or rotation that failed to help this club fire on all cylinders.

Outside of the defense, a glaring hole in New York’s roster was the rotation, which is weird to say since we’ve gotten used to it being an obvious strength in recent years. Although the unit’s cumulative 4.6 fWAR still finished in the top half of baseball, the 5.37 ERA tells a much different — and more accurate — story. That number settled in as the fifth-worst mark in the league.

It’s not surprising that Jacob deGrom‘s 2.6 fWAR made up a large chunk of the rotation’s overall production, especially since that’s something he’s done in each of the last three years. The problem in 2020 was virtually everyone who started behind him. Among Mets hurlers who threw at least 20 innings as a starter, only David Peterson posted an ERA below 5.50 (it was 3.74).

During the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, there was one constant from the Mets’ rotation as they performed among the best in baseball. That constant was far from their grasp in 2020.

No Longer Dominating the Quality-of-Contact Leaderboards

When looking at how New York’s starting staff performed in the categories of soft-hit rate and hard-hit rate allowed when Mickey Callaway was manager, they consistently were the best…or damn close. In 2018, the Mets finished with the best percentages in both categories. They repeated with the lowest hard-hit rate allowed in 2019, and while they posted the third-best soft-hit rate allowed during that time, it was just 0.1% away from putting them in a three-way tie at the top.

Here’s how the quality-of-contact has slowly shifted over this three-year span:

This obviously doesn’t seem like a huge shift from a year-over-year basis, but it becomes more significant of a jump when we simply look at 2018 and 2020 side-by-side. And yes, I know we’re talking about two very different sample sizes, and although that’d make a difference to some degree, I’m not sure how much it would. I mean, it’s not like the overall rotation performance would’ve made a huge positive leap had the season been longer. That didn’t look to be in the cards, at least.

After finishing at the top of the soft-hit rate and hard-hit rate leaderboards for two consecutive years, the Mets finished in unfamiliar spots this year: 12th and 19th, respectively.

Usual Culprits Were Missing

During the 2018-19 run of overall excellence from this part of the roster, there were three dudes who brought the goods and made the rotation production rather top-heavy. The most obvious one is deGrom, but he was joined by Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler on both occasions.

Among hurlers with 150-plus innings in 2018, these three finished within the top six for soft-hit rate allowed and the top five for hard-hit rate allowed. Among qualified hurlers in 2019, they finished within the top 15 for soft-hit rate allowed and the top seven for hard-hit rate allowed.

This year? The Mets only had one starter with at least 20 innings of work finish within the top 30 for soft-hit rate (Rick Porcello), and nobody landed in the top 30 for hard-hit rate. Nope, not even deGrom landed there, but Wheeler still did for each. Porcello actually led the squad in soft-hit rate and hard-hit rate allowed, if you’ll believe that. Here’s what the overall picture looked like for Mets starters:

Things may have normalized a bit with more time (similar to what they accomplished in 2019 after a collectively slow start). Still, this ain’t too pretty — especially after how they produced the two years prior.

Investing in Top-Tier Talent Matters

The old adage is teams can never have too much pitching, and the Mets certainly came up short in this regard.

When general manager Brodie Van Wagenen signed both Porcello and Michael Wacha to one-year deals last winter, it did seem as if New York had a crowded rotation. Definitely not the deepest one in baseball, but there was the potential for healthy competition and someone landing in the bullpen who ultimately didn’t want to be there.

But let’s state the simple and obvious: how much different could this year have been if the Mets just ponied up the money necessary to sign Wheeler? One pitcher wouldn’t have fixed all of their issues — that’s also obvious. However, it would’ve been awesome to watch manager Luis Rojas have the opportunity to put deGrom and Wheeler back-to-back in the rotation, giving the Mets a chance to actually get on some sort of roll. Doing this would’ve especially loomed larger once Syndergaard went on the Injured List and Marcus Stroman decided to opt out. It still did when those two became unavailable — just for the wrong reasons.

There have been too many times when we watched the Mets decide against reeling in a big acquisition and opt for the budget aisle with hopes the move would eventually surprise everyone. Thankfully, those days will soon be a distant memory once Uncle Stevie takes charge.

The post Mets Rotation Slipped in This Category in 2020 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets (25-31) travel to Washington DC for four games with the Nationals (23-33) to close the 2020 regular season. The teams will play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 6:05 pm, and Sunday at 3:05 pm. The Mets and Nationals have split six games so far this season.

The Mets need to win every game and receive significant help to remain alive in the playoff race in the National League. The Mets are coming from a series at Citi Field with the Tampa Bay Rays, in which the Mets dropped two of three games. The Nationals’ last opponent was the Phillies in Washington. In that series, the Nationals took three of four games.

On Thursday night, the Mets will send left-hander David Peterson (5-2, 3.80 ERA) to the mound against Washington’s lefty Patrick Corbin (2-6, 4.76 ERA). In his last start on Saturday nights against the Braves, Peterson tossed a gem, going six innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out ten and walking four. Peterson has been a pleasant surprise for the Mets in his rookie season, and projects to be part of the rotation in 2021.

On Friday night, Rick Porcello (1-6, 5.46 ERA) will pitch for the Mets against righty Max Scherzer (4-4, 3.67 ERA). Porcello’s last start on Sunday against the Braves was his best one of the season. In the game, Porcello tossed seven innings, letting up one run on three hits, striking out ten and walking two. The Mets’ bullpen later imploded, as the Mets went on to lose by a 7-0 score. Scherzer is having a modest season by his standards. The three-time Cy Young award winner’s 2020 ERA is nearly half a run higher than his 3.21 career ERA.

On Saturday night, Jacob deGrom (4-2, 2.14 ERA) will face right-hander Anibal Sanchez (3-5, 6.80 ERA). DeGrom was brilliant in his last start on Monday night against the Rays. In that start, deGrom pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out fourteen and walking two. DeGrom is a candidate for his third consecutive Cy Young award, though at this point the Reds’ Trevor Bauer appears to be in the lead for the honor.

The Mets’ season will likely end on Sunday afternoon when Seth Lugo (3-3, 3.82 ERA) takes on right-hander Austin Voth (1-5, 6.25 ERA). Lugo had an excellent outing Tuesday against the Rays, tossing 6 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run and four hits, striking out seven and walking just one. Lugo will be making his seventh start since his move to the rotation in mid-August. Lugo threw 95 pitches on Tuesday night, and appears to be fully stretched out into a starting role, and that should set him up well for a potential slot in the rotation next season.

What To Watch (Statistics Through 9/22)

The Mets are basically playing for individual records at this point. Going into Wednesday’s action, the Mets had three players in the top ten among the National League batting leaders. Jeff McNeil was fifth at .329, Michael Conforto sixth at .328, and Dominic Smith tenth at .315.

Brandon Nimmo (.407- 7th) and McNeil (.401-8th) were in the NL’s top ten in OBP going into Wednesday’s game.

Smith (.986) was sixth in OPS in NL entering play on Wednesday.

Pete Alonso is down to (.209/306/.435) with 13 home runs.

As noted above, Jacob deGrom has a shot at the Cy Young award, but would need a great start on Saturday and Trevor Bauer to stumble in his last start to have a realistic chance.

For the Nationals, they have fallen on hard times after their World Series championship in 2019. Trea Turner (.339/.397/.583 with 10 home runs) is their best offensive player by fWAR at 2.5.

Juan Soto (.345/.480/..683 with 12 home runs), their dynamic young outfielder, has an fWAR of 1.9.

Scherzer (1.8) and Corbin (1.1) are their best pitchers by fWAR.

Washington’s starters have an ERA of 5.45, 27th in MLB. Their relievers’ collective ERA is 4.48, 13th in MLB.

The Nationals’ team BA is .264, sixth in MLB.

For the Mets, a shortened season of unfulfilled expectations will come to an end this weekend. While the team had significant injuries to its starting pitching staff, many expected them to qualify for the post season as one of eight National League entrants.

With new ownership on the horizon, it should be an interesting off season for the Mets. The team may look significantly different next year, from the front office to the players on the field. That entire process will get started on Monday, when another season that ends without a post season for the Mets comes to end.

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According to Joe Pantorno of AMNY (he has been all over the Mets sale news), Steve Cohen is expected to “clean house” when he officially becomes the Mets majority owner.

Of course, that would start with GM Brodie Van Wagenen. The Mets are a miracle finish away from missing the playoffs in both seasons with him at the helm.

The former agent has seen most of his big free agent signings crash – Dellin Betances, Rick Porcello, Jeurys Familia, Michael Wacha, Jed Lowrie – and has also traded away prospects Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Blake Taylor.

Recent reports have suggested former GM Sandy Alderson could return to the organization, though a source told me if it happened it would be in an advisory/consultant type role – much like his current situation in Oakland. He’s not looking to expand his role.

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The Mets (21-26) travel to Philadelphia to take on Joe Girardi‘s Phillies (23-23)  in a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. The Mets are coming from a series against the Blue Jays in Buffalo, where Toronto took two of three. The Phillies are fresh off a seven-game series with the Marlins, in which Miami won five of the games.

For the Mets the task is clear-win at least nine of the remaining thirteen games to get to .500 (or better) and hope for help to qualify for the post season. The Mets will begin the series on the outside looking in at the National League playoff picture,  trailing the Phillies, Giants, Rockies, and Brewers (and tied with the Reds) for the last two wildcard spots.

The Mets have themselves to blame for their perilous position, as after winning easily against the Jays on Friday night, they lost Saturday night due to some shoddy play (Wilson Ramos and Amed Rosario), and lost Sunday when the bullpen allowed five runs in the sixth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a six-run hole.

The part that might sting most for the Mets is that they squandered opportunities to move up in the standings over the weekend, as the Giants, Rockies, and Brewers all lost games to open the door for the Mets.

The Mets and Phillies have played seven games this year, with the Phillies winning five of the games. In mid-August, the Phillies swept three from the Mets in Philadelphia, and the teams split a four-game series at Citi Field in early September.

In the series opener on Tuesday night, Rick Porcello (1-4, 6.07 ERA) will take on Jake Arrieta (3-4, 5.54 ERA). Porcello has been bad this season, after the Mets signed him to a one-year deal following the 2019 season. In his last start against the Orioles, Porcello lasted four innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits, in a game the Mets won. Arrieta last pitched against Miami on September 10th, going five and two-thirds innings, letting up three earned runs on five hits.

Wednesday night, Jacob deGrom (4-1, 1.67 ERA) will face the Phillies. The Phillies have not yet named a starter for the game. DeGrom was good, though a touch off his best effort, in his last start, tossing six innings, allowing one run on three hits to Toronto. DeGrom struck out nine in the game. The Phillies’ rotation has been impacted by their recent seven game series. Zack Wheeler (4-0, 2.47 ERA) is a candidate to start, after missing his last turn due to a freak injury he sustained while putting on a pair of pants.

Thursday night, Seth Lugo (2-3, 2.63 ERA) will make the start for the Mets. The Phillies have not named a starter for the game. In his last start against the Blue Jays, Lugo pitched five and a third innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits. Lugo struck out five in the game. He was not at his best in that game, but managed to keep the Mets in the game and give them a chance to win.

What To Watch For (statistics through games of 9/13)

For the Mets, Jeff McNeil left Sunday’s game with gastrointestinal discomfort. The Mets need the flying squirrel, who is slashing .319/.390/.493 with four home runs.

Michael Conforto is having an MVP-caliber season. He’s currently at .343/.428/.586 with nine home runs. The Mets need him to stay hot.

Dominic Smith has been consistent at the plate all season, posting a slash line .333/.396/..637 with eight home runs.

On the other side of the coin, Pete Alonso has fallen a tough times. His BA is .222 with 11 home runs. Alonso has a 0.1 WAR on the season.

Michael Wacha, struggling as a starter, will pitch out of the bullpen, likely for the rest of the season.

For the Phillies, J.T. Realmuto is their best offensive player by fWAR (1.7). Realmuto’s line is .267./.357/.527 with 11 home runs.

Bryce Harper .259/.417/.489 with eight home runs.

Met killer Jean Segura is slashing .259/.339/.401 with five home runs, most of which seem to have been hit against the Mets.

The Phillies’ starters’ ERA is 4.05, 11th in MLB. Their bullpen continues to be their Achilles Heel, with an ERA of 7.27, 28th in MLB.

The Mets need to take advantage of the Phillies’ bullpen, something the Mets have not done enough thus far. They got to the Philadelphia bullpen on September 7th, when they rallied from a 6-0 deficit to take a lead, in a game they lost in extra innings.

The Mets will need strong starts from Rick Porcello and Seth Lugo to go along with an expected effective outing from deGrom. Porcello has been mostly ineffective this season, and the Mets have to rely on him to find his 2016 or 2018 form at a time when the team is desperate for wins. Lugo will need to pitch well, as he has been doing since his move to the rotation. The bullpen will need to be better (Brad Brach was ineffective Sunday), and Edwin Diaz will need to be on his game since he will be called upon in save situations.

The Mets have a tall task ahead of them, and need the pieces to come together in a way they haven’t all season. Their fate is not exclusively in their hands. They will have to control what they can control by taking care of business down the turnpike beginning Tuesday night.

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Photo: Wall Street Journal

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Yesterday was an off-day for the Mets, but it was certainly not an uneventful day as the Steve Cohen deal to purchase the team was made official. The news expectedly caused quite the positive uproar on Mets Twitter and amongst Mets fans everywhere.

Rick Porcello will take the mound for the Mets tonight as they open a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Band Park at 7:05 PM.

Latest Mets News

Per the New York Mets, the Sterling Partners have signed an agreement with Steve Cohen to which Steve Cohen would purchase the team and become the majority owner. The official sale is subject to the approval of Major League Baseball.

Per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News, this deal does not include SNY.

Latest MLB News

Per the MLB Players’ Association’s Communications department, the MLB Players and 2ndSkull, Inc. have announced an alliance focused on protecting athletes at all age levels. Per the press release from the MLBPA, 2ndSkull offers a patented line of impact-mitigating practical headgear solutions for use in both helmeted and non-helmeted activities.

Per MLB Trade Rumors, Matt Bowman of the Cincinnati Reds will be undergoing season-ending Tommy John Surgery.

The Oakland Athletics announced that they have agreed to terms with free agent infielder, Jake Lamb.

Per CBS Sports MLB, MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred has stated that he hopes fans will be able to attend the ALCS, NLCS, and World Series games.

Per SNY, the New York Yankees are likely to activate both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge from the IL sometime this week.

Latest NL East News

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Braves have signed Pablo Sandoval to a Minor League deal. Sandoval will start at the Braves’ alternate site.

Per Todd Zolecki, Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies is headed to the IL with a left UCL injury. J.T. Realmuto will not make a stint on the IL, but will miss a couple days. Zack Wheeler is expected to pitch this week against the Mets.

Latest on MMO

Matt Musico talks about the Mets’ Best Homegrown Offensive Quartet in his MMO Crossfire article.

The “Pleasant Good Evening Podcast” discusses the search for a winning streak on episode four of the show.

Matt Musico’s article discusses why Jacob DeGrom deserves to be a Cy Young winner more often.

On this Day in Mets History

1963: the Mets held their first “Banner Day.” The Polo Grounds event allowed the “new breed” to display their creative ideas with signs, with a parade on the field between games of a doubleheader.

1969: St. Louis Redbird’s left-handed pitcher, Steve Carlton established a new major league record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with nineteen strikeouts in the Redbird’s 4-3 loss to the Mets at Busch Stadium.

1975: Mike Vail tied the National League rookie record with his 23^rd consecutive game.

Birthdays: Jason Hardtke (49), Doug Simmons (54), Satoru Komyama (55), John Christensen (60), John Pacella (64), Charley Smith (83)

Let’s go Mets!

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