Even with a southpaw Joey Lucchesi healthy, New York Mets were considering upgrading their rotation before the July 30 trade deadline, considering they’ve also played all season without rights Noah Syndergaard (recovered from Tommy John surgery) and Carlos Carrasco (right hamstring tear) ).
With those three and Jordan Yamamoto (right shoulder pain) out of the game, a deal for another pitcher now seems more likely than ever. The best openers available might include Kyle Gibson of the Texas Rangers, Jon Gray and Germán Márquez, from the Colorado Rockies, and Luis Castillo of the Cincinnati Reds:
However, the Mets are wary of spending too much potential capital on a top starting pitcher, considering their desire to build a sustainable winner. Discussing the organization’s plans Tuesday, Zack Scott, the team’s general manager, indicated that the Mets are much more likely to seek short-term solutions, at least until they are able to better assess their situation.
In the extremely near future, the Mets, who are in the middle of three double games in seven days, don’t have many experienced inside options. Veteran Jerad Eickhoff pitched four scoreless innings in a loss Monday against the Atlanta Braves.
Two other starters, Nick Tropeano and No. 10 prospect Thomas Szapucki, are on the club’s 40-man roster. A third, No. 21 prospect Tylor Megill, has garnered attention with one of the best minor league performances in the organization.
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The Mets will need to use some combination of those pitchers, while also relying heavily on their bullpen, to stay afloat as they approach the deadline.
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