Reese Kaplan -- The Current Taxi Squad of Senga Replacements

So the Kodai Senga unknown injury recovery duration means that the Mets need to consider who and how they plan to compensate for his unavailability.  

Some folks are advocating outside players of the second or third tier like Michael Lorenzen or Mike Clevinger.  Others feel they need to push for the first tier of availability such as Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery but the likelihood of the Mets moving in that direction would lean more heavily towards Montgomery who doesn't have a QO attached.

Today, however, lets look at the in-house options once again who include Tylor Megill, Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi and newcomer Max Kranick.  Without David Peterson in the mix it would seem that one of this quartet could possibly be viable if it is a matter of 3-6 starts in April and into early May.  

Many folks are falling in inexplicable love with Megill and his new pitch but his first appearance was nothing special and his history with the Mets is inconsistency.  He is no longer a kid at age 28 and owns a 4.72 career ERA.  Last season he was right on par with a 4.70 mark.

On the other side of the coin in younger Jose Butto who provided more good than bad last year.  Holding a career 4.70 ERA puts him on paper similar to Megill, but in 2023 he managed to pitch to a 3.64 mark.  At age 25 the Venezuelan righty is improving, whereas the older Megill is not.  In the past the club was averse to younger players but there's a new regime in town now so it's possible that youth and better numbers may work in Butto's favor.

Injuries have factored into veteran southpaw Joey Lucchesi not having delivered all that was hoped when he was acquired from San Diego, but in 2023 over the course of 9 starts he went 4-0 with a sparking 2.89 ERA.  Though he's currently 30 years old this resume of work suggests there is something in the tank worth exploring as a substitute for Senga considering he actually finished with a better ERA than Senga did.  

The wildcard in this mix is waiver pickup Max Kranick.  If you look at his minor league numbers the 26 year old righty from Scranton has put together a losing record of 17-21 but that's accompanied by an ERA of just 3.55.  His control has most recently been excellent though he's not a strikeout artist, averaging under 8 Ks per 9 IP.  He is on the 40-man roster and bears watching as he has youth and minor league numbers in his favor.  (Unfortunately late in the day Thursday Kranick was put on the IL with a hamstring strain, so he's off the table for the foreseeable future).  

For now it would seem that the known lefty Lucchesi and known righty Butto should be the top two candidates if they remain committed to in-house options.  Newcomer Kranick could slide into the third spot if he shows he can throw as he has in previous minor league campaigns.  

It would seem that Megill is the hurler with the most uphill battle, though a new pitch could make him a valuable bullpen multi-inning asset if the starting numbers continue to show struggles.