Where can the Mets pivot to bolster their pitching staff?

After learning Roki Sasaki will not sign with the Mets, they have to act to strengthen their shaky pitching staff

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• The Mets have been informed Rōki Sasaki will be signing elsewhere - the finalists are the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays (ESPN)

• Sean Manaea told reporters on Monday he wants the Mets to re-sign Pete Alonso, and is hopeful the two sides can come to terms

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Where is the Mets next opportunity to bolster their pitching staff? ✍️

While it may be disappointing, Rōki Sasaki will not be joining the Mets; it certainly isn’t surprising. I thought the Mets had a 50/50 shot at best of signing him, especially with so many teams in the running for him over the last month. They had a good sales pitch with their pitching-developing staff, but in the end, it clearly wasn’t enough to convince him to join the Mets.

Again, it’s fine. Disappointing, but not surprising.

The Mets will have more certainty now with the international free agents they’ve lined up to sign starting tomorrow, which is the day the 2025 signing period begins. They’ve reportedly had a handshake agreement on the table for 16-year-old prospect Elian Peña for a while now, so that will presumably go through without any hitches, as will the agreements they have with other players.

In other words, they’re on their original course without having to back out of or re-negotiate any deals they have in place for tomorrow’s signing day.

This also creates some certainty with the starting rotation, although it’s probably not the certainty people wanted or hoped for.

They have eight starting pitchers under major league contracts for 2025: Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Paul Blackburn. While this rotation is questionable at best, they figure to all be a part of the club’s six-man rotation heading into the season, in some way, shape, or form.

They could conceivably make a trade to bolster the rotation, but it always seemed the way they’d make another meaningful add to this rotation would be in the form of Sasaki. Since that’s not happening now, the only moves I expect them to make for the rotation are back-end depth moves to get them to 10 viable options for their six-man rotation.

I know that’s probably not what most people want to read, but that’s the path I see this taking unless an extraordinary trade opportunity falls into their lap.

The way I see the Mets making a meaningful move for their pitching staff is in the bullpen. They’ve been reportedly talking to Tanner Scott, and there would appear to be mutual interest, which is a surprise to me considering Scott wouldn’t be the primary closer here and more of an eighth-inning setup guy primarily to Edwin Díaz.

Now, he would, of course, get chances to close. The Mets wouldn’t have to use Díaz on consecutive days early in the season if they had Scott, and if the chips fall properly, he could be used to protect Díaz from pitching two or three days in a row late in the season in a pennant race.

In addition, should the Mets sign Scott or another reliever who can close to a short- to medium-term deal, that pitcher would serve as insurance to Díaz opting out of his contract after the 2025 season.

But that the Mets are even looking at the top of the bullpen market is a welcome sign for a pitching staff and group of relievers in need of a talent infusion of that ilk. Adding a Scott-like arm and a mid-tier reliever who can miss bats would give the Mets one of the best bullpens in the National League, and that’s where their next opportunity is to strengthen their rotation, merely by their ability to shorten games and rely less on their shaky rotation.

And who knows? Maybe that rotation will surprise like it did in 2024.

The good news for the Mets is, even if they can’t sign Scott, the market is flush with alternatives. It has only now begun to define itself, and while the chips are starting to fall, they have time to get this right. Maybe they’ll look at AJ Minter, Kyle Finnegan, and/or Kenley Jansen as well.

We shall see.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Yankees are bringing in Dominic Smith on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training (YES Network)

• The Braves backed out of a contract they agreed upon with Jeff Hoffman due to concerning medicals, as did the Orioles - he did sign with the Blue Jays for three years, $33 million (MLB.com)

• The Mariners agreed to sign Donovan Solano to a one-year, $3.5 million contract (FanSided)