Mets Reportedly Pursuing Ex-Yankees All-Star Starter To Help Bolster Rotation

It sounds like the Mets could end up landing a former Yankees star this offseason

The New York Mets aren't wasting any time looking to improve the club.

New president of baseball operations David Stearns already is making his presence felt with the Mets with free agency underway. New York has cleared 16 spots on the roster over the last few weeks and is expected to be very active in free agency.

One player who the Mets reportedly are pursuing is former New York Yankees fireballer Luis Severino, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon.

"The Mets are among the teams that have shown interest in Luis Severino and plan to soon meet with the right-hander, league sources said," Sammon said. "Severino, a two-time All-Star who has spent his entire eight-year career with the Yankees, profiles as a popular bounce-back candidate.

"Despite a rough 2023 season in which he produced a 6.65 ERA/6.14 FIP, Severino has attracted interest from several clubs, league sources said. Part of the appeal comes from his age (29) and a lot of prior success; he had back-to-back top-10 finishes for the Cy Young Award in 2017 and 2018."

New York needs to rebuild the starting rotation this offseason. The Mets traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and now need to get creative. New York has been linked on multiple occasions to Orix Buffaloes phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto and other top-tier starters. New York will need to add depth with high upside, as well, and Severino would make sense. 

The two-time All-Star struggled in 2023 but could be a very solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter with top-of-the-rotation upside.