In retrospect, it’s crazy that the New York Mets have the best starting rotation in Major League Baseball.
The Mets blew the budget on Juan Soto and the offense this winter, and kept relatively quiet on the pitching front. Sure, they re-signed Sean Manaea and brought in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, but it still felt like they needed another ace in the building.
Well, Manaea and Montas haven’t thrown a pitch yet, but the Mets still lead MLB by a wide margin with a 2.72 starting pitching ERA. Holmes, Tylor Megill, Kodai Senga, Griffin Canning, and David Peterson have all been terrific.
Does that mean the Mets shouldn’t shop for starting pitching at the trade deadline? Very possibly so, since it seems their organizational philosophy now is not to overpay for free agents on the pitching market.
However, there’s one name who could still interest them, claims Zachary Howell of ClutchPoints. Howell suggested Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López as a trade target for the Mets this season in a recent article.
“At 29 years old, López is a former All-Star capable of leading a rotation,” Howell wrote. “The first half of his season might be an addition to his scouting report for teams looking to acquire him.”
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“The Mets are one of many teams who would be interested if López is available. Manaea and Montas are still recovering from injuries, and Mendoza would love to have another arm to turn to.”
López has a 2.25 ERA in five starts so far this season, having quickly recovered from a hamstring injury three starts in. He’s struck out 26 batters in 28 innings and walked only four.
The four-year, $73.5 million extension the Twins signed López to before the 2024 season might be the number-one thing that would pique the Mets’ interest. It’s not a long-term commitment, and they wouldn’t have to worry about paying him past his prime.
The 2023 All-Star may well be off-limits, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Mets get involved if the bidding is open.
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