Houston Astros Veteran Pitcher Mentioned As Free Agent Target for New York Mets

The Houston Astros could face a lot of competition in bringing back one of their pitchers this offseason.

Sep 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

There are multiple players that the Houston Astros are going to face challenges in retaining this offseason.

Third baseman Alex Bregman is the best player available at his position and is in line to receive a lucrative contract. Veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander is set to hit the market as well, but it is anyone’s guess what kind of offers he will receive.

One of his teammates, Yusei Kikuchi, could actually have a stronger market than the future Hall of Famer this winter.

After being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the deadline, the veteran lefty turned his season around. A few tweaks with his pitch selection and the raw talent and stuff he possessed began to translate better statistically.

In 10 starts with the Astros, Kikuchi went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA across 60 innings. He struck out 70 batters, upping his percentage in that category while decreasing his hits and walk percentages.

The work that the Houston coaching staff did to coax that kind of production out of a player who had a 4.75 ERA across his first 22 starts and 115.2 innings pitched during the season was an impressive feat.

But, it has also put the front office in a tough spot as plenty of teams will line up for his services this offseason. One of them, in the opinion of David Schoenfield of ESPN, could be the New York Mets.

The surprise NLCS participants lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games, starting their offseason preparations over the weekend. With a ton of money coming off their salary cap, the Mets are expected to be big spenders this offseason.

“President of baseball operations David Stearns knows he needs to infuse young players into the lineup, so I think he keeps the prospects. He'll have to add some bullpen arms and I could see another free agent starter, whether it's Quintana or Severino, or somebody else on that level, like Yusei Kikuchi or Nick Pivetta. Less expensive alternatives to Soto include Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander and Tyler O'Neill,” wrote the MLB expert.

New York received incredible production from Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino. All three have set themselves up for solid paydays this offseason as some of the better pitching options available in free agency.

They are likely viewed in a similar tier as Kikuchi; solid veterans who can eat up innings in the middle to back end of a rotation. It will be interesting to see which of those players sets the market, as they could conceivably swap teams this winter.