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It's no secret that the New York Mets need reinforcement in the starting rotation, and not just a little. But do the Queens reps know?
Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets' preference would be to sign a starter on the terms of a shorter contract. In fact, baseball operations boss David Stearns has already sent a clear message in this regard by signing potential new closer Devin Williams to a three-year contract.
Column: Despite failing to get length from their rotation last season, the Mets are reluctant to hand out long-term offers to this offseason's top free-agent starting pitchers. If they stick to that stance, could it cost them? On the pros and cons: https://t.co/3OEjk8UAIv
– Will Sammon (@WillSammon) December 8, 2025
The problem is that the top three remaining starting pitchers – Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai and Ranger Suarez – are expected to sign six- to eight-year deals. This is in line with the seven years the Toronto Blue Jays have already granted Dylan Cease, even though Cease's earned-run average with the San Diego Padres was 4.55 last year.
The Mets are therefore expected to pick in the next category of pitchers who are free as air, a category that includes names like Michael King, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly, to name but a few.
They could also test the waters on the trade market with a view to acquiring arms like Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates, MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals, and Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins.
Regardless of the avenue taken, Stearns and the Mets clearly haven't learned from their mistakes of last year, when the starting rotation caused the loss of the New York lineup, preventing it from even participating in the fall dance.
Sending Brandon Nimmo, one of the Mets' favorites, to the Texas Rangers in return for the services of Marcus Semien was not the priority.
But the Mets will continue to be the Mets.
This content was created with the help of AI.
