The New York Mets signed a starting pitcher on Monday, but a new report suggests they may not by finished trying to add to their rotation.
The Mets are still in the pitching market even after Monday’s addition of Frankie Montas, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. To that end, the Mets have had some contact with free agent pitcher Walker Buehler, among others.
Sherman notes that the Mets appear to favor short-term deals for starting pitchers who have some upside in free agency. Buehler fits that, as does Montas, who signed a two-year deal with the team earlier Monday.
The Mets did this last season as well, filling out their rotation with short-term contracts like Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. That worked out fairly well, but now both are free agents that have likely increased their value, so the Mets will have to pull it off again. That could prove particularly challenging in the case of Buehler, who is drawing widespread interest from around the league, including from one of the Mets’ chief rivals.
The Mets went 89-73 last season and made the playoffs despite top pitcher Kodai Senga missing virtually the entire regular season. If the team can get him back healthy and add some real rotation depth behind him, they can be a formidable force in 2025.
