Top Mets pitching prospect Christian Scott will undergo a combined Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure, agent Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports announced this morning (X link). The hybrid procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister next week and will very likely keep Scott out of action for the entire 2025 season.
Scott, 25, made his big league debut this season and pitched to a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate in 47 1/3 frames. The 6’4″ righty, selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in late July and opted for non-surgical rest and rehab before committing to the upcoming surgery. Given the timing of the injury and the looming hybrid procedure, it was likely that Scott would’ve missed most or all of the 2025 season anyhow had gone under the knife back in late July at the time of his original IL placement, so at least attempting non-surgical rehab made plenty of sense.
Scott breezed through the minors across the past two seasons, posting sub-3.00 ERAs at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A along the way. He currently ranks as the game’s No. 63 overall prospect at Baseball America and was just a couple innings from graduating off that list prior to his injury. Scott will only pick up a partial season of major league service time in 2024 but figures to spend the entire 2025 campaign accruing service time on the 60-day injured list, as he was pitching in the majors at the time of his injury. He’ll be under club control through at least the 2030 season.
The loss of Scott for all of next season only further underscores a need for the Mets to pursue rotation upgrades this winter. While the team’s immediate focus is, of course, on the ongoing Wild Card battle in the National League, the front office will soon be tasked with restocking a rotation that’s on the cusp of thinning out in dramatic fashion. Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are both free agents at season’s end. Sean Manaea is signed through 2025 but has an opt-out clause in his contract that he’ll surely be taking on the heels of an outstanding 2024 season.
The only starters with big league experience whom the Mets have under control for 2025 are Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Jose Butto. Senga made only one start this year due to a shoulder strain and a calf strain. Blackburn has been limited to 55 starts across the past three seasons thanks to a variety of injuries (most notably a torn tendon in his middle finger in 2022). Peterson and Megill have both had strong seasons — the former, in particular — but have both been depth options who’ve yet to complete a full MLB season as a starter. Butto moved to the bullpen earlier this summer and has been very effective as a reliever.
The Mets do have some promising minor league arms on the rise, headlined by right-hander Brandon Sproat, who ranks 37th among the game’s prospects at MLB.com and 61st at Baseball America. He could very well debut next season. Still, given both the names they stand to lose to free agency and the injury and workload concerns for the rotation options in next year’s projected group, it’s easy to recognize that starting pitching will be among president of baseball operations David Stearns’ top priorities this winter. That would’ve been true even if Scott were given a clean bill of health, but the need is even more acute now that one of their top homegrown talents is likely down until the 2026 campaign.
That was quick. Good luck, Christian.
Makes sense. First few outings he looked legit and then just started falling off.
MLB, the walking dead, doesn’t anyone see how pathetic baseball has become?
Besides the fact that having an old school ace who went 7-8 innings and could single handedly steal a playoff series, from a pure marketing perspective they need to figure out the SP dilemma.
I can’t see how having pitchers duels deep into games is a bad thing for the product.
Terrible break. Heal up. NYM could well try and bring the same SP group back next year save Quintana unless they make big splash for a big Fried esque name
Manaea might get expensive considering his success this year, but it would be a solid move to bring everyone back. Throw in Sproat, a possibly healthy Blackburn, and maybe another project starter (like Severino and Manaea were this past year) and that might be it.
@ rct I don’t think its very solid at all… This rotation got run support of over 6 runs per game, yet the team is still only fighting for a wild card spot. We can’t count on inconsistent pitchers like Sevy and Manaea to repeat this year’s performances. Blackburn is frequently missing starts for one injury or another and is only a BoTR anayway. And far too premature to say what Sproat will be ready to do next year.
Stearns will push for Corbin Burnes with the money that came off the books for Verlander-Scherzer.
Burnes-Senga-Peterson-Blackburn-Megill-Sproat and hopefully Manaea can find the right numbers. Butto can start or relieve. And someone from the Vasil-Hamel-Tidwell group to develop a little more. Maybe do what the Dodgers used to do…… bring up a minor league starter to throw long relief until they are adapted to the big leagues.
Heck, Seth Lugo did it.
Burnes does not seem like A) a smart play nor does it B) seem like a Stearns move.
A) Burnes K/9 since 2020 has dropped every year (13.3, 12.6, 10.8, 9.3, 8.1 in 2024). His WHIP and FIP have been increasing. His ERA+ has gone down every year since 2020 (216, 170, 137, 127, and 123 this year). He’s trending in the wrong direction and about to turn 30. Whoever gives him his massive deal will regret it within a few years.
B) Stearns has never spent big money on starting pitching. Granted he was in Milwaukee, but even this past offseason, aside from the special circumstances with Yamamoto (25 year old pitcher hitting the market), he didn’t even pursue any big name starters. Only short-term reclaimations like Sevy and Manaea) I don’t expect that to change. And didn’t Burnes and Stearns have some fallout in arb hearings? Stearns also never tried to extend him in Milwaukee
Oof. I hope for a speedy recovery. Might miss all of 2025.
It sucks, and yea he will definitely miss the entire season if it is both the brace and tj
I wonder what Mets will do with Severino–try to negotiate an extension or let him walk. Yankees got burned by their extension.
Extend Sevy, 3/$42M, but Manaea’s gonna walk. Quintana too.
you really think Sevy takes only $14M per year coming off of what he did this season? Someone out there will probably be willing to pay him at least $35M for just two years.
This is probably the Dodger training staff’s fault, somehow. — the internet
(recover well, kid)
“Dodgers training staff”…My wife is cheating on me with my boss; the damn Dodgers training screwed up again.
beat me to it
We appreciate you taking the time to share your highly valued opinion with us.
– Carl Winslow
I think you have me confused with African-American actor Reginald VelJohnson who famously played a cop in the 80s action movie Die Hard.
🙂
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Campero from double a, on angels now. Should play him everyday.
Wagaman has two more homers than Anthony
Kochowicz is there best pitcher
Enjoyed watching the angels loose the 2nd half
Always just a swing away from winning
Jose saurez, I have 3 autographed cards
Ward has recovered
Next year he can continue
He has a good eye, walks etc
Trout, rendon, drury, 130 games each
Get a front line starter off season
Rec sign Carlos estevez he be worth it
Grandpa, this isn’t the VA
Very disappointing for the young man, but not surprising. I was kind of expecting this. Hopefully the surgery is a success and he makes it back ok for 2026. I think they should bring back both Manaea and Severino if they can get them both on 3 year deals or less. They have both shown that they can pitch well in the pressure of New York. They probably will need another starter other than Quintana, but I wouldn’t take a chance on Burnes for the money and years that he’ll be looking for. I would consider bringing back Quintana on a one year deal as a long reliever/spot starter, but my guess is that he can get a deal as a starter with someone else. And at this point, prospects like Sproat are just prospects, and not to be counted on.
Thus one hurts as he would have been an important piece next year for depth if nothing else. Looked very good when completely healthy. Hope for a trouble-free recovery.
They showed this year that they don’t have to overpay for a number 1 starter to have a good rotation. Stearns said that a year ago when they hired him. They haven’t been developing and keeping these prospects to deal them all away. They are in this for the long haul and to keep the pipeline sustainable. They may find that they have their very own Crochet in the system and just don’t know it yet. Remember, when DeGrom came up he was considered to be less of a pitcher than Montero who was called up at the same time. Look at the progress that Peterson has made this year. Some pitchers, especially lefties, just take longer to develop.
@very
You think so? I dont think scott would have had to be in the deal for crochet. Mets have a lot of quality farm depth and i think could bring back crochet. But i dont think stearns will include two top 100 for him anyway which i think white sox would want.
@ Ma4170 Met’s have nearly no depth in the minors. Nearly all of their top prospect were either injured most of the season, or had poor seasons. Behind those prospects was a boatload of dregs. Night after night we saw lineups in AA and both A levels that featured multiple players with .OPS in the .500’s and barely any over .700. Triple-A escaped that fate only because that roster was overladen with overaged quad-A or career AAA veterans.
Just bc guys had bad years dont mean they dont have depth. They do according to all the outlets that evaluate farm systems. Many w 50 valuation or above. They just dont have any 60+ players.
And i know youre focusing on mauricio jett gilbert, who got hurt but can bounce back their value quickly w simply a good month or two or a good fall season if they go to AFL.
But they definitely have depth… players like jesus baez jeremy rodriguez marco vargas baro tong McLean morabito… they have much stronger depth than youre portraying here.
Huh?
Nope.
The Mets rotation for next year is looking to be really bad. As much as I like Sean Manaea (was the only Met fan in the offseason begging the Mets to sign him, as usual I was right), they should not pay him Ace like money. Hes a 2nd/3rd starter on a good team and I’d be comfortable with 4 years at 80 mil, not a penny more. Severino is most likely gone. I’d DA Quintana now, he has nothing left in the tank. Blackburn I’d just get rid of, hes Adrain Houser but slightlt better, not a fan. That leaves Senga and Peterson for next year. I think Sproat/Blade Tidwell should get that 5th spot. If I was Stearns, I’d do my very best to sign 2 of either Shane Bieber, Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, or Dylan Cease. If Roki Sasaki becomes available, give him the money that you were going to give Yamamoto and sign one of the guys I mentioned instead. The bullpen is going to need some serious improvements in the offseason, its bottom of the pack in my opinion
You’ve gone from funny to hilarious to sad and now depressing
And for that reason I’m out
If Roki comes over he will only be eligible to sign out of a teams INT bonus pool so the Mets would not be able to be the highest bidder, not saying they couldn’t sign him but being a tier 4 luxury tax team there would be several teams who could offer more.
You Did. Not. Think. Manaea. Would. Be. Good. You. Liar.
You spent all winter complaining. I have receipts. You did nothing but cry about how bad this rotation and team would be. You cried about Mendoza. You cried about Heffner. You cried about Severino being washed up. You cried about Manaea being discards. You cried about Peterson. You cried about Megill. You cried about Quintana.
You legitimately have a mental disease that makes you believe that you were correct retroactively but just try to realize nobody here believes you ever.
@Don’tBeDumb check the post of when the Mets signed Sean Manaea and then get back to me. What I said is literally on the post
Please. Kumar Rocker has thrown one game in the majors and spent nearly all of this season in double-A. He doesn’t have a ghost yet.