Ex-Yankees All-Star Floated As Possible Mets Offseason Target To Bolster Rotation

Could the Mets land a former Yankees All-Star pitcher this offseason in free agency?

The New York Mets need to upgrade the starting rotation this offseason.

This is easy to see. New York traded away star duo Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and now needs to rebuild. New York has Kodai Senga and José Quintana under contract but need to add to the mix. 

The Mets have been linked to phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto and other top-tier hurlers, but need to add depth as well. One player who could be an option is former New York Yankees All-Star Luis Severino, according to SNY's Danny Abriano.

"Severino was one of the worst pitchers in baseball in 2023, and his advanced numbers are among the ugliest I've ever seen," Abriano said. "His home run rate was obscenely high (2.3 per nine) and his strikeout rate dropped significantly. But it's possible Severino -- still only 29 years old -- just lost it and allowed things to spiral on him, and that the pitcher who had a 3.39 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 10 strikeouts per nine over the first seven years of his career is still in there. We know the high-octane fastball is.

"In addition to the disaster that was his performance this past season are serious concerns about Severino's health -- he pitched just 18 innings between 2019 and 2021 before tossing 102.0 in 2022 and 89.1 in 2023. On a one-year deal, though (which is all the Mets and any other team should be willing to offer Severino), the upside potential is enormous."

Severino has seen his career spiral over the last few seasons due to injuries but there are still reasons to believe that he has upside. The 29-year-old struggled in 2023 but looked solid in 2022 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts. If he could pitch at that level for the Mets in 2024, he would be a very solid depth starter with top-of-the-rotation upside. He likely will be cheap this offseason and certainly could help New York.