Mike Freire - So, How Does The Rotation Look?

Mike Freire - So, How Does The Rotation Look?

Good Morning, Mets' fans!

Well, now that the Super (Snore?) Bowl, we are another week closer to the start of Spring Training. Living in the Sunshine State, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous of late, so the teams that train here are in for a treat. 

High temperatures around 70 degrees with low humidity and a light breeze. Perfect baseball weather and much better then the dreaded Polar Vortex.

As we move closer and closer to the start of the 2019 season, I started thinking about the starting rotation which many fans would pick as the strength of the team, right? Heck, there isn't much debate about the top four arms outside of the order that you can put them together.

Jake DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz

Short of something unforeseen (knock on wood), those four will be the foundation of our pitching staff and they will dictate just how successful the season will be. Not to mention, they also represent one of the better rotations in all of baseball. But, what about the fifth starter, you might ask? 

Granted, your fifth starter is slightly less important since they will likely get skipped from time to time, or help out the bull pen where appropriate. Actually, I think your fourth and fifth starters are more valuable over the course of the regular season, as opposed to a playoff setting when things get more condensed. 

BUT, you have to make the playoffs first without nuking your bull pen in the process, so quality pitchers in the back end of your rotation are still important.

For the moment (unless Brodie strikes before this article gets posted), one of the following pitchers will likely get tasked with filling the fifth starter's role;  Jason Vargas (current favorite, in pencil of course), Kyle Dowdy (Rule V pick up), Chris Flexen, Corey Oswalt OR a yet to be named pitcher.

I think the last spot in the rotation is pretty much Jason Vargas' to lose, at this point (unless he is moved in a trade or to the bullpen). Most fans are probably a bit underwhelmed with that choice and there isn't a lot to get exited about on the rest of the aforementioned list, either.

So, what gives, right?  Do the Mets pull a "Rays move" and just use a bunch of middle relievers every fifth day? Or, do they crack open the piggy bank just a bit farther and add another starter via free agency?

There's been a lot of chatter about Gio Gonzalez and how the Mets are "keeping tabs" on his free agency which is interesting. He is a crafty, left handed veteran and depending on the cost, could represent an upgrade over the status quo.

Consider the following;

Jason Vargas (36 years old) has a lifetime record of 92-90, along with a 4.27 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and approximately 16 WAR over 1,493 career innings pitched.

Gio Gonzalez (33 years old) has a lifetime record of 127-97, along with a 3.69 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and approximately 27.5 WAR over 1,814 innings pitched.

Keep in mind, Jason Vargas is already signed for the 2019 season for 8 million dollars, along with a 2 million dollar buy out for the 2020 season, so we can basically call that a 10 million dollar commitment. Not sure what the currently available Gio Gonzalez is asking for (he made 12 million last year), but he is three years younger and may want some sort of security.

If you were Brodie, do you sign Gio Gonzalez as your fifth starter and move Jason Vargas to the bullpen or is he not enough of an upgrade, all things considered? Feel free to comment and make sure you add what type of contract you would offer Gio Gonzalez IF you answered "yes" above.