Reese Kaplan -- David Stearns' Starting Pitcher Juggling Act

Well, after so much has gone right for the Mets in terms of pitching this year you knew there would be a let down at some point.  The club has done so in spades over the past few days against the Rays with reliever (soon to be starter) Paul Blackburn being handed his lunch (with the bullpen arms following not helping stem the bleeding either).  Then came Tylor Megill showing his 5.20 ERA since having sported a 1.40 for the first month of the year.  Right now he’s pushing towards the 4.00 ERA overall and hasn’t looked the least bit unhittable in quite awhile. 

Wait, wait, wait...the Mets have reinforcements readily available in the aforementioned Paul Blackburn and the soon to be pushed out of rehab Frankie Montas.  As bad as Blackburn was in his last outing, he’s pure Cy Young gold compared to how Montas has fared in his recovery from injury that’s kept him out of the first two and a half months of the 2025 major league competition.  His ERA in recovery is over 13.00.  But not to worry.  He was recently quoted as saying that he’s not concerned about results, simply about his health and how he feels while pitching and afterwards.  Well, that’s surely a relief because some of us were harboring this silly idea that a pitcher’s task is to retire hitters, not to allow them to be batting practice for the opposition.

Fortunately, the news on Sean Manaea is somewhat better.  His first rehab start was, like the others, nothing to write home about, but his second one had him looking like the dominant pitcher he was in 2024.  It suggests that if he remains healthy he could be a lock down starter once again.  With Kodai Senga out for anywhere from 15-45 days depending on whose story you believe, that need for another top level starting pitcher becomes increasingly vital to fulfill properly.

Behind them you have the kids who likely won’t get to see Citifield unless they buy a ticket to a game during this current season.  David Stearns needs to figure out how best to utilize the roster options he has available.  To reiterate:

• Clay Holmes
• David Peterson
• Griffin Canning
• Tylor Megill
• Paul Blackburn

Then in return-from-rehab order:

• Frankie Montas
• Sean Manaea
• Kodai Senga

The previously suggested step of the Mets trading away a starting pitcher before the July deadline has taken quite a hit with the hamstring injury to Senga.  It would have seemed that the multitude of phone calls on Blackburn probably stopped dead after the 4-run inning on Friday.  

Putting up Griffin Canning as a trade prospect would certainly generate a huge amount of interest given his paltry salary and 3.20 ERA results, but can you afford to do that before knowing how healthy and how effective the three IL pitchers really are?  

Tylor Megill is also a clear possibility to hit the trade market unless they choose to exercise his final option to Syracuse, but given how he’s pitched for the past 5 weeks or thereabouts the interest in him will be right down there with Blackburn’s desirability. 

If all things develop positively then within 30 days the Mets will have all three injured pitchers returning, with Clay Holmes and David Peterson most definitely a part of the 2025 future (and beyond).  That would make all three of Blackburn, Megill and Canning possibilities to trade elsewhere for reinforcements such as a left handed relief pitcher, a center fielder or a stud prospect.  Canning would appear to be the most likely to go given his contract expiration at year end and Megill having a minor league option.  That would leave Paul Blackburn as the likely 6th starter should one ever be needed.

What’s your take on the mound manipulations that need to be done?