The New York Mets missed the postseason by one game, but they had every chance of making it. Instead, they had one of the most severe collapses in modern MLB history. What began as a promising season swiftly devolved into what some have dubbed a total collapse.
“The New York Mets, who have lost six straight games, are down 6-0 and will face Jacob deGrom.” Since opening 45-24 with the best record in MLB, the Mets have gone 31-47, trailing only the Rockies, Twins, and Nationals. This is not a collapse. Jeff Passan wrote, “It’s a disintegration.”
The Mets’ main concern all season was their starting rotation’s inconsistency. A shaky rotation is frequently bad for a clubhouse, as was certainly the case with New York. Now that the offseason is beginning, the first task is to rebuild that unit.
“As the Mets prepare for an offseason that may contain some necessary changes, it might be argued that the most essential thing they must do is reorganize their starting rotation. The rotation, more than anything else, was responsible for the Mets sliding from 45-24 in June to missing the playoffs on the final day of the regular season,” SNY’s Danny Abriano said.
According to projections, the Mets may go all in on getting Framber Valdez and Joe Ryan.
“In the last two months of the regular season, New York Mets starting pitchers had a 5.65 ERA (27th in MLB). Steve Cohen and David Stearns will address this, albeit in different ways. Cohen’s strategy will be to allow Pete Alonso to leave in MLB free agency and then win the bidding battle for Framber Valdez. The Mets’ president of baseball operations isn’t stopping there. Stearns will also chase many starters on the trade market. “In January, however, a deal with the Minnesota Twins to add Joe Ryan will be reached,” Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson stated.
If the Mets can sign both Valdez and Ryan, that would be a significant boost for one of the league’s worst rotations. Valdez has playoff experience, but Ryan is a young flamethrower with great potential.
Even getting one of the two would be a huge victory. If forced to pick, Valdez would probably be the preferable target, especially considering his performance in October. But, given owner Steve Cohen’s aggressive style, Mets fans might expect fireworks this winter.