REPORT: Mets Interested In Former Guardians Pitcher

The New York Mets are reportedly interested in former Cleveland Guardians starter Lucas Giolito.

The starting pitching market is really starting to heat up after Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto decided to sign long-term deals with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Now, teams who missed out on signing this duo are turning to the next tier of pitchers to address their needs. One pitcher on that level who is drawing plenty of interest from teams is former Cleveland Guardians starter Lucas Giolito.

The last team to reportedly express interest in the former All-Star is the New York Mets, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. 

A deal with the Mets seems logical for everyone involved. Gilito can sign a short-term deal and prove that he's still an elite-level starter while New York fills a gaping hole on their roster. It feels unlikely the right-hander will get a long-term deal based on how his 2023 season went but that doesn't mean teams should avoid him.

Giolito pitched for three different teams last season and had a commutative ERA of 4.88. His ERA with the Guardians topped out at 7.04 and he also had a 1.50 WHIP. 

In Giolito's defense, these numbers are easily inflated by his first start with Cleveland where he gave up nine runs in three innings. He also had a season-high 12 strikeouts just two starts later.

Sep 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets aren't the first team to reportedly be interested in Giolito's services. He was reportedly gaining attraction from the Dodgers at the beginning of December, but this was before they signed Ohtani and Yamamoto to their mega deals. 

Giolito can still be a serviceable pitcher wherever he lands. The question now is will that end up being with the Mets, Dodgers, or another team?