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“The Mets are gonna Met.” It is a popular saying referring to the narrative that the New York Mets always find a way to crumble. The team is off to a tremendous so far in 2022, but their injury woes are causing people to think twice about their future. It was recently announced that Max Scherzer will be joining co-ace Jacob deGrom on the injured list for an extended period of time.
New York cannot afford to stand pat. They need to make something happen if they want to remain competitive without their star-studded frontline of the rotation.
Many fans are calling for the Mets to make a trade for starting pitching. Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle of the Reds have been rumored to already be on the trade block here in late May. And A's ace Frankie Montas has been discussed in trade talks since the offseason.
However, adding extra starting pitching is not the clear cut answer. Sure, starting pitching depth is instrumental. But New York has capable starting arms such as Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Chris Bassitt, and David Peterson who can hold down the rotation. Tylor Megill, who is also currently injured, should be able to help the rotation upon his return in early June.
New York doesn't need to add a superstar pitcher right now. If deGrom or Scherzer end up having setbacks that affect their status for the entire season, then the Mets would need to add top-tier starters. But right now, they have two organizational strategies worth addressing that will help them win games moving forward.
2 Bold Strategies Mets Must Implement amid Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom injuries
Bullpens Win Championships
The adage “defense wins championships” still holds true. But in MLB, bullpens play a pivotal role. Starting pitchers don't work as deep into games as they once did.
The Mets would benefit from strengthening their bullpen core. They don't need to empty the farm system on big name starting pitching this instant. If New York adds quality relief arms, they will find success.
One example worth using stems from the 2016 Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). Cleveland's most noteworthy trade deadline acquisition came in the form of Andrew Miller from the Yankees. Although the team was known for starting pitching, a vast majority of their starting pitchers were injured by the time the postseason rolled around.
Cleveland leaned on ace Corey Kluber and middle-of-the-rotation option Josh Tomlin to uphold the rotation. They even called up a young left-hander by the name of Ryan Merritt to start his first ever big league game in the ALCS vs. the Blue Jays.
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But Andrew Miller led an extremely strong bullpen for Cleveland. The team ended up reaching the World Series before losing in Game 7 against the Cubs.
Fast forward to 2022. The Mets are dealing with a plethora of injuries. But adding bullpen arms is the way to go. Their current bullpen is solid, but relief depth is the key to success.
Trading for big name starters isn't a bad thing. But the Mets would benefit more in the long run from acquiring talented bullpen help.
Manufacture Runs
The New York Mets are fifth in runs scored in MLB as of this story's publication. However, they are tied for 18th in home runs.
And that is just fine.
New York's gameplan needs to revolve around manufacturing runs in an effort to win games. They don't need to smash homers all of the time. An RBI groundout gets the job done. A well-timed sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly is how good teams win. Moving runners over with less than two outs is something hitting coaches have preached for years.
The Mets don't have the starting pitching to win games with limited offense. They can't rely on Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom to provide them with 7 shutout innings right now. But if they can manufacture enough runs to consistently hand leads to their bullpen, the Mets will win ball games.
