Many have operated under the assumption that Zack Wheeler leaving the New York Mets is a foregone conclusion, but that may not be the case.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Mets are interested in bringing Wheeler back on a multi-year deal. Heyman notes that if New York can't re-sign the righty, it will either try to acquire another pitcher this offseason or promote Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman to the starting rotation.

Back in July, there was a whole lot of speculation that the Mets were going to trade Wheeler ahead of the deadline, but a strong month that vaulted New York back into playoff contention put the kibosh on any Wheeler deal.

In fact, the Mets doubled down on their postseason hopes, acquiring fellow right-hander Marcus Stroman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Of course, New York faded down the stretch, and as the Mets began to sink against stronger competition over the final couple of months, many questioned why they didn't just move Wheeler at the deadline to start rebuilding.

But apparently, New York still thinks it is in a position to win going forward, banking on a rotation that currently includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Stroman and Steven Matz.

Some have surmised that the Mets could move Syndergaard this winter, but no concrete reports have surfaced of New York having any interest in doing so. It should be noted that the Mets reportedly shopped him around at the deadline.

As for Wheeler? The 29-year-old went 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 2019, allowing 196 hits while fanning 195 hitters over 195.1 innings of work. He is considered one of the top pitchers on the free-agent market, but his extensive injury history could cause some clubs to shy away from giving him a lucrative long-term contract.