The New York Mets won the Juan Soto sweepstakes and could be limited in spending. However, they could still make trades for players with club control.
With Sean Manaea still unsigned, Just Baseball’s Caleb Moody named the Mets as potential suitors for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo. The 27-year-old will not be a free agent until 2027.
“When the Mets turned their 2024 campaign around at the beginning of June, a big reason for that was the strength of their rotation, which ranked fifth in ERA, ninth in WHIP and fourth in AVG against in the final four months of the season,” wrote Moddy. “So if New York wants to make a run at an NL pennant again in 2025, finding a way to replace the production that Manaea and Severino provided at the top is a great way to do so.”
Manaea revived his career with the Mets last season. Luzardo played in just 12 games last season with a lower back injury. However, in 2023 he struck out 208 with a 3.58 ERA. Luzardo is projected to earn a five-year, $71 million deal when he hits free agency.
The Mets should be able to afford Luzardo right now as well as if they want to extend him. However, trades within the division are always tricky. The Marlins understand they are not going to be competing for a World Series in the immediate future. However, the Mets are not going to want to deal them valuable prospects to set them up for the future.
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