The New York Mets find themselves in a unique situation.
It’s unknown if they plan to wait until 2025 or later, or if they hope to compete for the World Series in 2024. Despite this, New York has been quite busy this offseason and is probably going to make one or two more significant moves before Spring Training begins.
Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff is one player that has been linked to the Mets and would suit their schedule for contention, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
“At present, the Mets rotation is Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Adrian Houser, and probably a battle between Joey Lucchesi and Tylor Megill,” Sherman said. With Quintana, Severino, and Houser all due to become free agents after the 2024 season, the addition of (Dylan Cease) would allow the Mets to have one other certain piece along with Senga heading into the next offseason.
“It is one reason the Mets also have been tied to Brandon Woodruff, who Stearns knows well from their time together in Milwaukee. Woodruff may not pitch in 2024 after undergoing surgery to the anterior capsule of his pitching shoulder following the season. But a team could sign Woodruff to, say, a two-year deal with the idea of rehabbing him for most or all of the 2024 season and then having him in full to begin 2025.”
The former Brewer will be out of the game for the whole 2024 season, but if the Mets want to contend in 2025, he may be an ideal fit in the rotation. In seven seasons, he has a career 3.10 ERA. In 11 starts this past season, he had a 2.28 ERA and a 74-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Given that he is already acquainted with Stearns and won’t be overly costly, a move might be imminent. Should the Mets manage to sign him to a two-year contract and he makes a healthy comeback to the mound in 2025, he might provide the team a legitimate ace at a significantly reduced cost.