The Mets are extremely difficult to understand. They’re awful, they look reborn, then bounce back to the awful space once again. Let’s not go pitch by pitch to ascertain when the run prevention failed spectacularly on the 20th while at the same time the bats returned to their cocoons buried underground. For now the guesswork is in trying to conclude what happens next.
If you draw a depth chart on the wall for the Mets starting rotation, then in no particular order you see Freddy Peralta, David Peterson (yes, as a starter, not as a 2nd through 5th inning guy following the opener), Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and a big question mark for number five. Word has filtered out that Jonah Tong was scratched from his upcoming Syracuse start to prepare him to be available to join the Mets in Miami later this week. Does that action mean he is now number five?
What then becomes of the rookie loser Zach Thornton who started off with a few free passes that came around on a three run blast in his very first inning of major league baseball? He followed that inauspicious debut with another run scoring frame but then settled down to throw like a true ace though a bit late, retiring at one point eight in a row. Is he on the Syracuse shuttle to make room for Tong or does someone else get hung out to dry to create an open roster spot.
Right now the team is a little hard pressed to excise any of the others from the rotation. Peralta is obviously not leaving, nor is Nolan McLean despite his major league clunker in his last major league start. David Peterson’s role is likely fairly solid unless the dumpster diving David Stearns has a trade up his sleeve sending the pending free agent out of town for help. The other candidate would be Christian Scott whose 4.12 ERA is markedly better than David Peterson but whose arm strength is still a work in progress.
Nowhere has anyone suggested that Tobias Myers be stretched out to be a viable starting candidate. As I referenced previously, he’s made just as many starts as relief appearances in his major league career so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he would transition into the rotation at some point, but again where would the vacancy happen to give him this opportunity?
On the offensive side Nick Morabito did not have the kind of stellar debut that rookies dream about when they finally suit up for The Show. His defensive miscue almost single handedly capsized McLean in his last start. He did hit a combined over .300 in both 2023 and 2024 in the minors, but 2025 he dropped to .273 and was swatting just .253 in AAA when he was summoned to replace the less than immortal Austin Slater. He has no power, which isn’t likely to emerge in the majors, but has shown stellar base stealing ability.
Whether or not he remains here is anyone’s guess but a 4 AB major league debut without a hit is not usually sufficient grounds for roster termination unless/until a veteran returns from injury. Still, if Juan Soto plays the field and Carson Benge is a regular starter then you’re down to deciding between right handed base stealer Morabito or left handed base stealer A.J. Ewing. Right now most folks would opt for Ewing regardless of who is pitching.
6 comments:
Amazingly, the Mets have used 20 pitchers already, which seems a lot, except other teams are doing similarly. Last year, the Mets set the MLB record with 46. A long way to go.
When you as a team hit like crap, you have to juggle a lot, and hope something sticks.
Team seems to be experimenting on what their future rotation looks like.
I expect Peralta and Bichette to both be dealt away by the deadline for two prospects each.
Senga starts his 30 day rehab window today.
Expect 6-8 top starters in the draft
Pitching and power hitters are going to be critical in the 2026 draft.
DJ, the Mets drafting still seems weak. The Mets minors is one big failure right now, except, perhaps, for the pitchers.
So if they trade Peralta and Bichette and Robert and Polanco’s health is in question. Next year we have Vientos, Semien, an aging injured Lindor and Baty, Ewing, Benge and Soto. Pitching staff of McClean, Scott, Tong, Thornton, Senga and Manea. Good work by the boy genius from Harvard
Don't be so hard on Harvard. The Harvard Lampoon has always been a lot of fun. I have presented a counter argument to Mack's claim that Bichette will be traded. He has an opt out clause and therefore will get almost nothing back in trade; and at the same time given the uncertainty about whether or not he will exercise it, the Mets will have to guarantee that they will pay a good portion of it if he does. That makes it too expensive for the Mets and too uncertain for the trading partner to offer anything that would make trading him attractive for both sides. He can opt out of course, but would not be wise to do so with a potential lockout season coming up. I definitely see a Peralta trade as signing as a FA is not in the cards. Good starting pitching can be very attractive at the deadline. The Dodgers will be shopping for a starting pitcher given their injuries, and they would likely have to give up less to get Peralta than Skubal, should he be on the block for a rental period. Skubal will feel less certain having come off an injury and thus a riskier rental. Who knows what he will be able to fetch.
I haven't made up my mind about whet I believe the Mets will do with Semien, Baty and Vientos. My most recent post discusses at length the problems in the infield that Mets will have whether or not Bichette is here next year.
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