The three internal candidates for the starting rotation
Assuming the Mets don't go to the market for help, they have three candidates to replace Frankie Montas in the rotation
What’s up with the Mets? 🌴
The Mets are currently not looking to add LHP José Quintana or any other starting pitchers even with Frankie Montas’s injury (MLB.com)
The cost of parking at Citi Field is being lowered from $40 to $25 for season ticket holders (Newsday)
Juan Soto gifted Brett Baty a car as a thank you to Baty for giving up his number when Soto signed with the team (MLB.com)
Soto will make his Mets debut when Grapefruit League action starts on Saturday (Newsday)
Brandon Nimmo identified several issues that caused a massive slump in the second half of last season and he is confidant he can turn things around this year (Athletic)
Pete Alonso was hit in the face while working on fielding drills but thankfully he was not injured (SNY)
Spring workouts highlights - Tuesday 🏋️♀️
With MLB testing out their new automated strike zone, Francisco Lindor successfully challenged a strike call during batting practice (SNY)
Jose Siri took Sean Manaea deep during live batting practice (SNY)
Manaea also faced off against Mark Vientos and struck him out (SNY)
Both Pete Alonso and Juan Soto were befuddled at the plate against Kodai Senga (SNY)
Soto did eventually get a hit off Senga (SNY)
Brandon Nimmo took some swings against Huascar Brazobán (SNY)
A look at the three pitchers battling it out for the final rotation spot.…✍️
With Frankie Montas’s injury putting him out for as much as the first half of the season, the Mets now have three pitchers vying for the last rotation spot.
If nothing else changes, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson are all locks for the rotation, which leaves Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill, and Paul Blackburn as options for the fifth spot.
The team did not get to see much out of Blackburn last season since he went down with a back injury shortly after he was acquired from Oakland (which led him to need spinal leak surgery). He pitched just 24.1 innings and had a 5.18 ERA over that time and overall last season, he was 5-4 with a 4.66 ERA in 14 games started. He has a career 4.85 ERA, which isn’t remarkable, but he should be fine to cover some starts at the back end of the rotation until Montas returns.
He appears to be healthy now and while he may be a bit behind the others, he’s throwing to hitters in camp now which is a good sign for him and his health.
Back in December, the Mets signed Griffin Canning to a one-year deal worth $4.25 million. Originally signed as a depth move with some intriguing upside, he now has an opportunity to win a spot in the rotation. He has shown the ability to strike out a ton of batters in the past but has never been able to fully put it together on the field. He has a career 5.19 ERA and has also suffered from injuries in the past.
Still, he has some potential if he finally figures it out with a new team.
Canning might still be better served as a long man out of the bullpen, but right now, as the Grapefruit League is set to begin, he is a legit option to make the rotation.
Finally, there is Tylor Megill.
Unfortunately for Megill, he has options, whereas the others do not, so that might put him behind the others when the organization fills out its Opening Day roster. Megill is another one that has shown flashes but can’t seem to stay healthy or show he can routinely get past the fourth or fifth inning in his starts - he has averaged just under five innings per start in his career.
He could also potentially be used out of the bullpen, and he has always seemed to profile better out of the bullpen given his issues to provide multiple and consecutive quality innings. But the team will probably prefer to keep him stretched out in case the need arises for another starter.
Of course, there are other options both on the team and elsewhere at the moment. Brandon Sproat could be a dark horse option, although they’d need to take at least one more injury hit for him to be a consideration on Opening Day, at which point they’d probably go out to the market for more pitching anyway and let Sproat work at Triple-A.
Or, David Stearns could pull the trigger on a reunion with Jose Quintana anyway, is probably better than anyone they have now, and he’s still a free agent and might be had for less than $10 million.
Also, with the team endeavoring to roll with a six-man rotation in an effort to keep Senga healthy, they will need two arms to fill out their rotation.
Stearns has done a good job rebuilding the rotation and adding depth this season, so hopefully, they can survive this first injury of the 2025 season.
Around the League 🚩
ESPN and Major League Baseball are opting out of their national television deal after this season because of ESPN’s lack of coverage of baseball according to Rob Manfred (The Athletic)
The Yankees signed manager Aaron Boone to a two-year extension after picking up his option for 2025 in the offseason (MLB.com)
Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller was hit in the head by a line drive during their game against the Cubs but thankfully he was able to leave the field under his own power (ESPN)
Cubs RHP Cody Poteet became the first player to challenge a pitch in a game with the new ABS system
The Pirates signed Andrew Heaney to a one-year deal worth $5.25 million
I wonder what Hef and the Pitching Lab (great name for a band) are cooking up. I have no doubt in my mind, Stearns and the scouts saw something in Canning and Blackburn despite the inflated ERAs. And we saw a LOT of improvement from Megill when he came back up last season.
We also might have a nugget hidden in the pile of trialists. But that's hit-or-miss.
[P.S. On MLB Hot Stove just now, they were talking about Q possibly landing in Atlanta. He's almost certainly off the board.]