Mets Should Target Jack Flaherty, Nick Pivetta to Bolster Rotation
When opportunity knocks you let it in.
The New York Mets have added a significant amount of depth to their starting rotation by bringing back lefty Sean Manaea and signing his former A's buddy Frankie Montas, inking Clay Holmes to convert him to the rotation and adding swingman Griffin Canning.
Assuming the Mets deploy a six-man rotation with a healthy Kodai Senga, the unit will feature: Senga, David Peterson, Manaea, Montas, Holmes and either Canning, Paul Blackburn or Tylor Megill. Jose Butto is another starting option, but will likely be used as a long reliever again at least to begin the season.
While this is certainly a deep group of arms, New York could still bring in more and are continuing to monitor the starting pitching market. Should an opportunity arise in this area, the Mets may very well strike.
Standout righty Jack Flaherty is still available on the free agent market and would be a strong move for the Mets to bring in atop their rotation.
It's a bit of a mystery as to why Flaherty remains out there after starting Game 1 of the World Series for the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, there was some reported hesitance from interested teams at the trade deadline over Flaherty's medicals regarding a back issue. But that didn't stop the Dodgers from acquiring him and it paid off as Flaherty stayed healthy the rest of the way and helped LA win a title.
Teams appear to be waiting out Flaherty's market, and if the Mets do the same, maybe they can land him on a one to three year deal. Flaherty won't turn 30-years-old until October and could choose to re-enter free agency next winter in search of the long-term deal that doesn't seem to be out there this time around.
Flaherty is coming off just his second full season since 2019 which was a time when he was looking like a rising star ace with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2024, the righty posted a 13-7 record, a 3.17 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, a 127 ERA+ and 194 strikeouts in 162 innings (28 starts) with the Tigers and Dodgers.
The other name to keep an eye on is right-hander Nick Pivetta, who also remains a free agent. The Mets showed interest in Pivetta back in December before they brought back Manaea on a three-year, $75 million deal.
Pivetta has a qualifying offer attached to him, which has probably hurt his market a bit. But if first baseman Pete Alonso winds up signing with another team, the Mets would receive a compensatory draft pick as a result of his departure. Should this occur, the Mets could sign Pivetta and give up a compensatory pick to the Boston Red Sox after receiving one from Alonso's hypothetical new team.
Pivetta, who will turn 32-years-old in February, has a 4.76 ERA for his career, but has posted a 4.09 ERA in his last 288.1 innings across 2023 and 2024. His strikeout rate totals (11.5 and 10.6) have also been impressive during this span of 65 appearances with 42 of them being starts. Pivetta has an impressive 9.7 bWAR since joining Boston in 2020.
As Mets On SI reported earlier on Tuesday, the Mets are also discussing a possible trade for Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle in addition to Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers.
The Mets would have more of a budget to work with if Alonso walks. This could allow them to bring in a first baseman, starting pitcher and another high-leverage reliever. The result would be a deeper team with less star power but three quality big-leaguers.
Mets On SI reported on Monday night that the Mets remain in the mix for left-handed reliever Tim Hill, who had a remarkable 2024 season once he got picked up by the Yankees in June. There is mutual interest between Hill and the Yankees on a reunion; the Dodgers, Rockies, Angels and Diamondbacks also like Hill.
Read More:
- Source: Mets Have Discussed Ryan Mountcastle Trade as Possible Pete Alonso Pivot
- Source: Mets Still in on Free Agent Lefty Bullpen Arm Tim Hill