3 pitching options for the Mets after Syndergaard's injury
It may be time for the New York Mets to seek some help.
The Mets' once formidable starting rotation officially lost its Norse god-like ace, Noah Syndergaard, on Monday for "a considerable amount of time" after an MRI revealed the strapping right-hander had a partial tear of his right lat muscle.
Syndergaard's injury was an immediate cause for concern for the Mets whose organizational resources from the starting pitching side of things had already been depleted thanks to injuries to Steven Matz and Seth Lugo.
With the Mets losing seven of their last 10 games and with an ace on the shelf, the team's front office may be forced into making a move to help keep things afloat just long enough to pass through this rough patch.
Here are three different options that could help the Mets:
In-house - Rafael Montero
Option one for the Mets is Montero, who's expected to be recalled to the big-league club to pitch in Syndergaard's absence on May 5. If Montero can pitch like he did in spring training, where he posted a 1.77 ERA across 20 1/3 innings, or how he did during two starts at Triple-A - 1.74 ERA, 0.68 WHIP - the Mets may have found their stop-gap solution. If Montero's 9.45 ERA during his 6 2/3 big-league innings this season continues to hold up or even increase, it'll be time for them to look elsewhere, and to be honest their cupboards are pretty bare beyond him.
Trade - Logan Verrett
In November, what appeared to be a nothing trade with the Baltimore Orioles involving Logan Verrett turned out to be something more because of the Mets' current situation. The Mets traded away the 26-year-old for cash after he posted a 5.20 ERA for them in 2016. Because of their familiarity with the right-hander and because he'd surely cost them next to nothing to reacquire, the Mets could ask the Orioles for a favor and get him back to fill their void. Now, Verrett isn't exactly a game-changing addition, but he did make 12 starts for the Mets last season and looked good in his lone appearance for the Orioles this season when he tossed two scoreless innings out of their bullpen on April 30.
Free agent - Doug Fister
It's May. Not a typical time for teams to be adding free agents, but the Mets are more desperate for starting pitching depth than anyone else in the game. One right-hander with a good-looking resume and starting experience still without employment is Doug Fister. Although teams were reportedly not interested in signing the 33-year-old because of his marginal stuff, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, he did throw 180 innings for the Houston Astros last season, and has started nearly 200 games in his eight-year career. The Mets reportedly "looked at" Fister at the beginning of April, but he was holding out for a major-league deal. Maybe he'll get one now with the Mets' audacious situation making them desperate.
(All photos courtesy: Action Images)