The redesign of the DishesThe starting rotation heads into a fascinating first month of this offseason. It’s also a bit disappointing, to be honest, unless you see Frankie Montas And Holmes Clay like the right guys to occupy the places n°2 and 3 behind Kodai Senga.
But this is where a few qualifiers are crucial for any overreaction.
First, it’s still early.
Secondly, and more specifically, David Stearns earned the benefit of the doubt, based on the Mets’ success with Luis Severino And Sean Manaea last season, as well as his track record developing pitchers during his tenure as general manager in Milwaukee.
And Mets fans seem perfectly willing to give Stearns that kind of respect, such is the trust he’s built in his first year on the job, at least based on public reaction so far – but this respect surely also has limits.
With that in mind, the Mets need to add more presence to the forefront of the rotation as they head into a 2025 campaign in which winning a championship will be the expectation.
That’s another way of saying: whatever secret sauce they have in their pitching lab has limits.
That said, I like the creativity Stearns and the Mets have shown so far, especially in being willing to try Holmes as a starter and staying away from six- or seven-year contracts for players as Corbin Burnes And Max Frit is a policy that makes sense.
But does there come a point where this front office is counting on too much to be able to maximize the abilities of each pitcher it signs simply to not overspend?
Here’s how an MLB scout answered that question on Saturday:
“It’s funny, I was thinking how angry Mets fans would probably be if Billy Epler had signed Montas and Holmes,” the scout said. “I think Stearns has credibility in finding value, but I also think it’s important to remember that one of their big advantages is Steve Cohen’s money. The cost of launching is obviously higher than ever, so you have to be smart about it, but you also need guys with track records to compete for championships.
Of course, it could be that the Mets are just waiting to find out if they win the game. Juan Soto draw before deciding how much more they are willing to spend on the pitch.
But I’d say they still need two notable starters to fill out a rotation that, as of right now, potentially lines up as follows: Kodai Senga, David PetersonMontas, Holmes, José Buttoand either Paul Blackburn Or Taylor Megill.
Yes, that’s a six-man rotation, and I think there’s a good chance the Mets will move in that direction in 2025, for at least part of the season, in part because Senga needs extra rest after his year marked by injuries. and partly because others might have sleeve limits.
All of this makes it even more important to add that rotation, and I think they will, but to what extent?
My feeling is that they should start with Manaea. I think his second-half dominance is sustainable because it relies on his seemingly seamless ability to lower his arm angle to mimic the NL Cy Young Award winner. Chris Saledelivery.
Based on the three-year, $67 million contract Severino got from the A’s, which was higher than most people in baseball anticipated, it will almost certainly take a four-year deal to keep Manaea, approaching probably the $100 million.
The Mets surely don’t want to extend that far since he turns 33 in February, but he’s been very durable over the last few years, and scouts say there was nothing haphazard about his second-half success .
“The forearm angle creates higher perceived speed,” one scout said. “So the ball gets to hitters faster than they deal with it. It’s not a trick. Hitters will always have a hard time catching it at the top of the zone.
This means the Mets should swallow hard and spend on Manaea.
From there they should add either Walker Bühler Or Nate Eovaldi.
Both can likely be had on short-term deals and although Eovaldi will turn 35 in February, he has been very solid in recent years with a history of playoff success, while Buehler is coming off a breakout season. season 24 fragile after a second. Tommy John surgery but showed his dominance in the playoffs.
In this case, the starting six might look more like: Manaea, Senga, Peterson, Buehler/Eovaldi, Montas and Holmes, with Blackburn, Butto and Megill for depth, plus prospect potential. Brandon Sproat Or Tidwell Blade contribute at some point during the season.
I think this is a championship-caliber rotation in terms of potential dominance and depth, for sure.
This would also leave open the possibility of bringing Holmes back to the bullpen at some point. The idea of Holmes as a starter is intriguing, and his elite sinker is a solid foundation around which to build a starter’s arsenal, so it’s worth taking a look at him.
Still, his bullpen experience is a great fallback option, and I think he could be extremely valuable as a setup man for Edwin Diazdepending on what other relievers the Mets add to the mix in their bullpen.
Ultimately, for now, Stearns makes it clear once again that he’s not afraid to be unconventional in pursuit of the pitch. It paid off last year and perhaps it will again in 2025.
But expectations are much higher for 2025. To that end, despite the secret sauce in their pitching lab, the Mets still need to add a few marquee starters.
