It was recently reported that the Mets are aiming to have Tylor Megill work out of the bullpen when he returns from the injured list, given that their rotation is healthier than it was early in the season. However, the team has told Megill that he will be stretched back out as a starter for next year, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The fact that the Mets still want to try Megill as a rotation candidate is fairly sensible, given that it’s possible they will face a huge amount of turnaround in that department in the coming months. Jacob deGrom has long maintained that he’s going to exercise his opt-out after this year, despite his lengthy injury battles. Chris Bassitt has a mutual option for 2023, which is unlikely to be exercised by both sides, as mutual options almost never are. Taijuan Walker has a $6MM player option with a $3MM buyout. Though he can increase the value of that option with incentives as high as $8.5MM with 175 innings pitched this year, he’s still likely to turn that down and find more money in free agency. The Mets hold a $14MM club option over Carlos Carrasco that will vest if he reaches 170 innings and finishes the year healthy.
It’s within the realm of possibility that the Mets begin the offseason with an on-paper rotation of Max Scherzer followed by depth options like David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi. Given all that uncertainty, it’s understandable that they’d want to keep Megill in the mix. He stepped up to fill in for deGrom earlier this season and posted a 1.93 ERA through April, though he then posted an 11.48 ERA after that as his shoulder injury seemed to catch up with him.
Other notes from the Senior Circuit…
- The Padres reinstated righty Robert Suarez from the 60-day injured list yesterday, per a club announcement. The 40-man roster already had a vacancy, meaning no corresponding move was required in that regard. Fellow righty Steven Wilson was optioned to create room on the active roster. Suarez was signed in the offseason after a five-year stint in Japan and has thrown 24 1/3 innings for the Padres this year. His 29.3% strikeout rate is very strong though it also comes with a 13.1% walk rate, leading to a 3.33 ERA on the year so far. He’s been on the IL since early June due to knee inflammation.
- The San Diego bullpen could soon welcome back another injured hurler, as lefty Drew Pomeranz has begun a rehab assignment. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Pomeranz is expected to pitch in at least two rookie ball games before deciding next steps. Signed to a four-year deal in late 2019, the southpaw had an excellent showing in the shortened 2020 season, throwing 18 2/3 innings with a 1.45 ERA and 39.7% strikeout rate, though he also had a 13.7% walk rate. He was putting up fairly similar numbers last year before undergoing surgery to repair an injured flexor tendon, a procedure he’s still working back from almost a year later. If he can come back in a form that’s anywhere close to what he showed in 2020 and 2021, he should provide a huge boost to the Friars’ relief corps, which also just picked up Josh Hader prior to the trade deadline.
- The Brewers announced that right-hander Alec Bettinger has been released. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut last year, tossing ten innings over four appearances with an unsightly 13.50 ERA in that small sample. He lost his 40-man roster spot earlier this year, being outrighted in May. Though Bettinger had put up solid minor league number in previous years, he’s not fared well this season, registering a 6.49 ERA through 34 2/3 Triple-A innings. After posting walk rates around 6% in recent years, he’s more than doubled it here in 2022, jumping to 12.9%. His strikeouts have also vanished, coming in at a 12.9% clip this year after being in the 23-27% in prior campaigns.
NYM have an interesting dilemma about DeGrom. Not sure what I’d do. Can have 2 excellent arms with far less injury risk for his $. It’s a business
I can’t imagine deGrom opting out but it is baseball so who knows. What I do know is that the list of teams lining up to sign a guy who can’t stay healthy is going to be small and I can’t see any team giving him anything other than a one year deal with an option year attached to health. The guy is a serious injury concern going forward I’m not speaking out of line here. Even Met’s fans have to realize this. The guy is a great pitcher but you gotta be on the field and he just isn’t. Even if he pitches well the rest of the way it still would be a major issue signing him. Opting out of his contract after the season should be the last thing on his mind right now.
If deGrom pitches well down the stretch, plenty of teams will sign him.
I would expect DeGrom will be offered a 2 year contract. Anything longer would be foolish.
I remember about 6 or 7 weeks ago, Hoskins made two brutal errors, ( I believe one each in consecutive games). You stated, that is who Hoskins is, but his hot streaks, outweigh his defensive deficiencies. That has always been true, but it is really evident this past month.
Plenty of teams would give him 3 years at $25m per.
His current contract gives him more than that, I believe. He’s looking for a Scherzer type contract.
Would be willing to sign him I should say
Every single team that needs pitching is lining up at his door this off-season and he’s easily getting a very large multiyear deal. The immense talent more than compensates for the injury risk, teams roll the dice on that level of talent 100% of the time.
I expect he’ll receive short term deals, to compensate for the injury risk.
I think deGrom opting out is less about money and more about leaving the Mets. I think he wants out the way Thor wanted out
deGrom, Wheeler and Thor should reunite on the Phillies. I know Thor is a FA after this season so I’m mostly joking.
The Mets rotation is going to crash and burn harder than Ann Heche.
nope
David Peterson has shown he’s more than a depth option…
Real classy statement jimmy.I pray for Ann Heches’ recovery.
I pray for her recovery as well so she can be prosecuted and thrown in jail
I couldn’t help but wonder about the owners of the house she destroyed while driving drunk. If they had any Ann Heche DVDs they’ll probably burn them (if they didn’t go up with the rest of the house).
Milwaukee released Bettinger. They also (with no press release) did the same with Luke Barker on the day he was having Tommy John Surgery. Wonder what it was like to be in the recovery room and be told you have just been released. Wow
I saw a story about the Barker thing. Looks like he said all the right things, and was actually offered a deal to rejoin the system, but chose to decline that (can’t blame him).
I’m just not sure what the motivation was from the Brewers side as far as the timing. Even with the ’82 World Series team celebration and Lucroy/Braun/Fielder acknowledgement yesterday their PR team can’t be thrilled with the events of the last week or so.
They did make that offer but had already outsourced his rehab which was a huge sign they did not want him back. I guess he decided the Brewers were not sincere about the offer, but trying to dodge the bad press.
Surprising with the Mets going loose some rotation pieces they didn’t buy more at the deadline. At World Series appearance would really increase revenue and what they could spend next year.
One thing really lacking with the Mets is the lack of power. Especially out of catching and the corner outfielders. Without a lot of power hard for a team to come back from being behind quickly.
They could buy in the offseason without losing any prospects. It worked this year. It’ll work next year. Mets aren’t going anywhere.
What they spend next year doesn’t seem likely to be impacted in a significant way by what they do this season. Cohen has money to burn and will spend whatever he thinks he needs to to get the team back to contending status.
30 0ver 500! eod
When was the last time an average team was 30 games over .500?
I miss the pre-free-agency days when players spent years and years with a single team. I know that system wasn’t fair to players, but it was better for fans. Tigers fans of my generation grew up with Al Kaline and several others who spent 80 percent or more of their careers with Detroit. If free agency existed back then, Kaline would have left Detroit well before the 1968 world series.
Baseball was much better for the fans before free-agency.
Seem to be folks on here who still don’t buy NYM as an exceptional and well rounded team. That’s weird. Their rotation is among the top 3 or 4 in BB and they have a fistful of very good to great bats. Nimmo, Marte, Lindor, Alonzo, McNeil. And the best closer this season.
they are a lights out set up man away from being a favorite to win it all. They should trade for one. Oh wait, Eppler screwed that pooch last week
Eppler’s moves have paid off. The Vogelbach/Ruf combo is impacting the entire lineup and they just won a pretty crucial series against the defending WS series champs. Mets fans seem to be uncomfortable accepting success.
and they can really catch the ball
Lot of Mets fans I know seem to think they are uniquely snakebit. Bollocks. You can you point to numerous organizations that have long post season droughts. It’s almost always poorly constructed teams that are the answer to underperforming.
DeGrom will certainly opt out unless something goes sideways for him before the season ends, however I don’t see him leaving the Mets, but rather looking for Max dollars and then some. Not many ball clubs want to expend that much on a single player, and I’d assume there’s a mutual interest by DeGrom and the Mets to keep him in Queens if the price is right.
If he does return, the Mets would have DeGrom, Scherzer, Carrasco, Peterson, and Megill. I wouldn’t mind seeing Basset return and perhaps hold a six man rotation for long no day off stretches or at least a plug in for possible injuries. Offensively they’re fine and the two spots needed – catcher and third will eventually be filled by Alvarez and Batty. As long as Nimmo’s number isn’t unrealistic, he’d be a nice keeper as well.
I think you’re right about that starting 5. Keeping Bassitt would be awesome but they need the money to keep deGrom, Nimmo, Diaz, plus they need another reliever. Resign Tyler Williams as your 6th starter
Nothing is about freeing up money with the Mets.
Nimmo hits free agency and asks for (and gets) a 6 year deal.
I think McNeil goes as he is 30 and will seek his one big deal for 5 years.
My heart says deGrom opting out is to secure a 4/160m deal with an option. I truly believe only the Mets would offer that if he proves healthy.
Alvarez is up next year right from spring training. Same for Vientos.
Peterson and Megill go back into the rotation as soon as ST begins.
Walker is already showing second half issues again. He’s gone.
Carrasco gets resigned, probably a 4 year deal as long as he stays healthy.
Anyone not resigned will be replaced, except for deGrom. You can’t replace that.
Moving Megill to the pen becomes a real weapon the last 55 games. Lugo, May and Givens have stumbled. I can totally see Megill coming into the game in the 6th or 7th and going once through the lineup. He and Peterson will bail out the bullpen going forward.
San Diego still suck