The New York Mets have suffered their first spring training injury with starter Frankie Montas on the shelf. The free-agency acquisition has a history of injuries and will be shut down for 6-8 weeks. The Mets do not have the rotation depth to survive a long-term Montas injury. So where should they look for a starter to fill out their rotation? We’ll rank the options from best to worst, and even that one isn’t bad.
The Mets had a historic offseason, signing Juan Soto to the largest contract in North American sports history. But they needed to replace almost their entire rotation after a great year from a veteran group last year. Sean Manaea is back but Luis Severino is with the Athletics. Montas, their Severino replacement, is now out for a while. They could add an arm through trades or free agency or bring up a prospect.
Which direction should the Mets go this offseason? Here are the options, ranked from best to worst.
Dylan Cease is the best Mets option, but the least likely
The San Diego Padres are in ownership turmoil and did not participate in much of the MLB offseason. But once it got sorted out, with Peter Siedler’s brother running the show, they signed pitcher Nick Pivetta. With Dylan Cease hitting unrestricted free agency after this season, they could trade him this offseason and recoup some prospects. The Mets are positioned to make the trade and it would be a fantastic way to replace Montas.
This is the least likely of the Mets’ three options but the best way to improve their team. Not only would this be a response to losing Montas but it would fill a big need. While their rotation is solid, they lack an upper-echelon ace. They were never connected to Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, or Max Fried. But they could surprise everyone by swinging a trade for Cease.
Call-up prospect Brandon Sproat or Christian Scott
The Mets have two starting pitchers that they drafted and developed who are nearing the MLB level. Brandon Sproat is 24 years old and dominated at two of the three minor-league levels he played at last year. A 1.07 ERA in six appearances with A Brooklyn prompted a promotion to AA. His 2.45 ERA in 11 appearances with Binghamton at that level sent him to AAA Syracuse. But the greatness stopped there, with a 7.53 ERA in seven games.
Scott made his MLB debut last year and was serviceable in nine appearances. His AAA numbers are much better than Sproat’s, a 2.76 ERA with three wins in nine appearances. This could be a spring competition for the final spot, with Scott having the early lead. The Mets have a strong pipeline, an underrated part of the David Stearns/Steve Cohen era. They can prove that with one of these pieces.
The Mets can bring back a familiar face
The worst option in terms of the long-term outlook of the Mets rotation is veteran Jose Quintana. After spending two years with the Amazins, he is a free agent and has not been picked up by any team. He has had success in the organization and would be inexpensive for just this year. After a great postseason appearance for the Mets last year, Quintana could be back sooner rather than later.
This should only happen if Scott and Sproat do not live up to their expectations in spring training. The Mets will need to develop both of those players to have a sustainable rotation throughout Soto’s expensive contract. So if this year is the first season with one of the youngsters in the rotation, that is fine. But if they are not ready, stick Quintana in the rotation and get ready for Montas to come back during the season.
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