December 9: The Mets have officially announced the signing.
December 7: The Mets and left-hander José Quintana are in agreement on a two-year, $26MM contract, pending a physical. He will make even salaries of $13MM in each season.
Quintana, 34 in January, was a remarkably steady and consistent member of the White Sox rotation in his first five seasons. He debuted in 2012 with 22 starts, three relief appearances and a 3.76 ERA. For the next four seasons, he made at least 32 starts in each campaign while keeping his ERA between 3.51 and 3.20.
Unfortunately, he hit a few rough patches after that, as his ERA ticked up over 4.00 for three straight campaigns from 2017 to 2019, with Quintana getting traded across town to the Cubs in that time. A thumb injury in 2020 limited him to just 10 innings pitched in the shortened campaign. He signed with the Angels for 2021 but was shelled in nine starts to begin the year and got moved to the bullpen.
For 2022, the rebuilding Pirates took a flier on Quintana with a one-year, $2MM deal. The hope was that he would return to form, provide some veteran stability for their young rotation and perhaps turn himself into a trade chip by the deadline. That plan could hardly have gone much better, as the southpaw made 20 starts for the Bucs, posting a 3.50 ERA. His 20.6% strikeout rate was a bit below average, but he paired that with strong walk and ground ball rates of 7.2% and 45%, respectively. He and Chris Stratton were dealt to the Cardinals at the deadline and Quintana continued his strong campaign in St. Louis. He made another 12 starts with a 2.01 ERA, finishing the year with a 2.93 mark across 32 starts and 165 2/3 innings.
Quintana was then able to return to free agency in a much stronger position than his previous trips. In addition to his strong platform season, his midseason trade made him ineligible for a qualifying offer and his age made it unlikely that he would be able to pursue a lengthy contract. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $24MM deal, with Quintana eventually nudging just barely beyond that.
For the Mets, they were facing a great deal of turnover on their pitching staff, with Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker reaching free agency, along with several relievers. deGrom has since joined the Rangers and Walker the Phillies. The Mets effectively replaced deGrom by signing Verlander and have now added Quintana to take a role in the middle or back of the rotation. That gives the Mets a front four of Verlander, Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco and Quintana. They have some internal options to take the fifth spot, such as David Peterson and Tylor Megill, but it’s also possible that they continue to pursue external additions.
This signing brings the club’s payroll to $290MM for next year, according to Roster Resource, with a competitive balance tax figure of $301MM. It’s unclear exactly how much they plan on spending by the time the dust has settled, but owner Steve Cohen has previously floated $300MM as a ballpark figure, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. In terms of the luxury tax, they are already beyond the fourth and highest tier of penalization, which will be $293MM next year. As a second-time payor, they are subject to escalating penalties, meaning they will pay a 30% tax on the spending between $233-253MM, 42% between $253-273MM, 75% between $273-293MM and 90% above the top tier.
Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic first reported that Quintana would join the Mets at $26MM over two years. Joel Sherman of The New York Post first added that it would break down into even salaries of $13MM in each year.
Eovaldismemes
this the mf they rlly replacing with Walker
Dbacks44
Nice. Can’t go wrong with him as a number 4.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
LOL, ask the Angels if that is true for so much money.
Rishi
I look at the Angels version of him as experimental. His k’s were WAY up so he was surely pitching differently attempting to reinvent himself. Without diving in to the numbers, presumably he decided to pitch more like he used to or at least stopped trying to raise his k/9
SemihAutomatic
Quintana was better last year, is making less money over half the years, and has almost no injury history as opposed to Taijuan who has been hurt more than healthy in his career.
Can’t see how this isn’t at worst a lateral move.
RyanD44
Wasn’t he the Cubs #4? They went wrong.
Rishi
With Kyle Gibson making 10m next year who can possibly fault this deal?
GregF
Don’t forget about the defense that backed Quintana. It does matter.
Buzz Killington
Lol um he’s A LOT cheaper and very durable. Walker struggles to stay healthy and isn’t a whole lot better when he is then Quintana. Low risk high reward deal who’s job is to simply eat innings but could easily outperform.
VonPurpleHayes
He’s 34. Walker is 30. He also pitches to contact and next year the shift is gone. I like the moved for the Mets because it’s cheap, but my money would be on Walker being better over the next 2 seasons. Still, Phillies overpaid for Walker. Mets got Quintana on the cheap.
sfes
The Phils know their window is now and I really tip my cap to them the way they are saying “f it” and throwing whatever they can to get closer to another banner. NL East is going to be crazy as it’s ever been. Who wouldn’t love a Mets/Phils NLCS?
SemihAutomatic
Walker makes his money off of pitching to soft contact too, and just put up the best season of his career playing in front of a great defense, it’s not like he’s without the potential red flags either they have basically the same profile, Walker’s just younger and had top prospect pedigree.
I’m not even necessarily saying Quintana is going to be better next year, but it should be close enough that the difference in contracts makes the choice easy.
Smelly_Cobb
probably the rest of the field
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Interesting signing
Pete'sView
I never understood why the Giants released him. He had some ups and down but was much better than the final stats indicated. Giants were much too quick to pull the trigger. A major misstep.
baseballpun
Revenge for Steven Matz.
Blue Baron
Completely unrelated. Quintana is a free agent, so St Louis had no contractual rights and no more connection to the player. And Quintana obviously has no connection to Matz.
baseballpun
No, it’s clear that Cohen only wanted Quintana because the Cards were interested in re-signing him, just as St. Louis signed Matz despite the Mets’ interest in re-signing him. There is absolutely no other logical explanation for this decision by the Mets and any argument otherwise is insane.
Blue Baron
@baseballpun: I would hesitate to throw around dumb buzzwords like insane, especially in the absence of full information. We don’t even know if the Cardinals made an offer, and this was the player’s decision as he is a free agent. He was more attractive since he was willing to sign for less money than Heaney got from Texas and half the years Taillon got from Chicago and Walker got from Philadelphia. A business decision all around. Only fans like you bring irrelevant emotion into it.
baseballpun
I don’t know what you’re smoking, man. This is all about Steve Cohen. You don’t just go out and sign a solid innings eater on a reasonable contract after losing half your starting rotation. Cohen’s been butthurt since last offseason about not being able to pay Steven Matz to sit on the IL, and now he is exacting his sweet revenge.
Well what goes around comes around, Stevie. You live by the sword, you die by the sword. Bill DeWitt will be plotting, I can guarantee you that.
The Fiend
The cardinals picked him to start game 1 of the playoffs. The Mets should be thankful they didn’t sign Matz.
put it in the books
I think he was kidding
Blue Baron
Good for you.
GregF
And don’t be surprised if Quintana is not the same pitcher he was with the Cards.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I agree with baseball pun here. The connection is that Matz went to Mets to get an offer, then bolted to Cardinals. That was on Matz more than the Cardinals though. As for Matz, it’s a business.
So even if St. Louis had no interest in Quintana in 2023, it will be sweet for the Mets if Quintana outpitches Matz in 2023, which is very possible.
padam
You realize he was joking…
padam
Personally I think they’re looking down the road over the next two years and what becomes available.
Ohtani whom I’m sure they’d have a shot at. Cole can opt out after 2024. Wheeler. Glasnow. Bieber. Ray. Nola. Burnes. Woodruff. Buehler. Plenty of others, but this top shelf over the course of the next two years is appealing.
Hurricane Sandy
Can we just be honest already and acknowledge that Matz isn’t very good? A little confused about why anyone wanted him back with the Mets.
Josh5890
Not the worst guy to have at the back end of the rotation.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Well, no, only Patrick Corbin can claim being the worst right now, it is a singular honor.
mostlytoasty
Quintana’s numbers with a good defense behind him were great in STL. I’m not as familiar with the glovework for the Mets but Quintana definitely feels like a solid rotation piece after several rough years.
VonPurpleHayes
No shift this year though.
tomg1976
The Mets do have a good infield defense. When looking at OAA Lindor was the 3rd best SS in MLB last season. McNeil was tied for the 5th best at 2B. Escobar was tied for 30th at the hot corner, so not as strong there, and Alonso was tied for 32nd at 1B. So, going by OAA, weak at the corners but really strong up the middle. The lack of the shift, as noted by others, is a factor though not as much as you might think. Last season the Mets deployed the shift the 9th most in baseball. (37.8% of the time) but as for Quintana’s old teams, the Cards, only shifted 27.9% of the time (21st in all of MLB). Pittsburgh, where he pitched the first 20 of his 32 games, shifted 31.3% of the time (17th most in MLB).
RunDMC
But don’t they lack in range, not apparent in OAA? They’ll need more range without the shift in affect in ’23. Sorry, not able to check their UZRs.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
I love the optimism of saying 30th at 3B is “not as strong” instead of saying it was bad…
tomg1976
LOL. Yup, I am an optimist by nature. It’s not good.
thecrown24
Let’s not forget about Luis Guillorme who also can play 2nd Short and 3rd. The guy is a defensive wizard. The guy has great hands turning the double play from either middle IF position and a strong glove also.
Aaron Sapoznik
‘Q’ back to first professional organization. He also spent time in the Yankees system before making his MLB debut and establishing himself as a solid rotation piece with the White Sox.
DraytonSawyer
F’ing Quintana…the creep can roll man.
VonPurpleHayes
This is a good deal for the Mets, especially considering the market. Now their rotation is set. Time to work on the bullpen and perhaps Nimmo.
I do worry that Quintana’s numbers dip without the shift, as he relied on contact.
Polarbear99
Von, lol u should be happy bro! Mets will be 3rd in the East for sure. Phillies way better this year
VonPurpleHayes
I think the Mets are really good. Phillies too. And Braves are always good.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I would bet even money that Phillies, Atlanta and Mets all win minimum 87 games. Injuries will sort things out. Will Harper recover? Will Mets old HOF starters throw 30 starts each? Is Acuna back to best form? What trades will Atlanta make? The Marlins are doing some good things, but you can slot them in fourth right now.
stanthefan
I wonder if the Mets won’t make one more, like the Trevor Williams type, as some depth. They, sadly needed a spot start from time-to-time. Scherzer, Megill, and Pederson all spent good chunks on the DL, combined with a 40 year-old Verlander & Carrasco, who’s been hurt plenty, I think they almost have to do one more starter even if it’s from the bargain isle.
Don’t even know how big this payroll is going to be considering they still need a half a dozen guys still!?
stanthefan
Good point. Though it looks like the Mets “window” is 2 years. Scherzer, Verlander, Quintana, Carrasco, Marte, etc., all FA’s.
But I get your point… how effective is Megill or Pederson going to be if they aren’t getting ML reps.
YourDreamGM
I’d rather have the Mets defense and no shift than the 2022 Pirates with the shift.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I would rather have the Mets, Phillies or Atlanta, then the Pirates with Rodon, Bassitt and Nimmo added to their roster. And letting Pirates shift.
stanthefan
Disregard, math is not my strong suit… 6 starters, while not plenty, is good. You can always pick something up or find someone to fill in if you can’t make it w/6
Sid Bream Speed Demon
Except Quintana is that guy that you find and throw in a rotation because you can’t do any better. Can’t wait to see him and his 5.45 ERA come July…..
tomg1976
I still think they’ll end up with Senga. Mets owner Steve Cohen spends and spends.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
On those terms, I would have liked a reunion with Cubs.
positively_broad_st
Mets at 2/$24M is where I predicted Quintana would go, but he got 2 more million than I thought he would…
bryan c
Okay. Not a bad 4 but seriously prefer him as a five. I certainly hope they are still in on Senga.
VonPurpleHayes
I think they’re likely out now. Their rotation is pretty set. They need a bullpen and an OF.
bryan c
Heyman reported just now they are very much still in. Same agent. Why take a serious team out of running? We will see. Senga makes this a monster rotation on paper
VonPurpleHayes
I agree, but if they get Senga, perhaps they deal one of Megill or Peterson. These kids need to pitch and if they get another starter, they’re blocked.
Astros2017&22Champs
Senga, if good, massively improves it. Plus it would drive attendance through the roof having a 29 year old star Japanese pitcher in New York
resident
Never have enough pitching! Let the two young guys work out of the bullpen and be used to start once in a while to keep the aging arms fresh for the playoffs. Both seem to have struggled at that point in the last two years. I’m not saying anything new here. Just ask any old time baseball fan.
sfes
I think the Mets prefer Megill in the pen or as SP insurance
Ella B
Agreed,Von. I think they’ll make an offer to Senga and if accepted, they trade both Megill and Peterson for OF help. Nimmo is most likely gone in that scenario.
Astros2017&22Champs
Set is a strong word. They have 2 old Aces and a bunch of question marks.
Verlander
Scherzer
Carrasco
Quintana
Peterson
Megill
bryan c
One “OLD” ace just won a WS with you with a 1.75 ERA and a Cy Young and the other was voted 2nd team all MLB. Carrasco is not a question mark, nor is Quintana as a 4/5. And Megill and Peterson are both very capable 4/5s on most teams. Really hard to spin that but let me hear it please.
VonPurpleHayes
I agree with the question marks, but when they have holes in the pen and OF, their next move should be getting a 7th starter? Unless a trade is involved, I don’t see where they have room.
VonPurpleHayes
@bryan c Scherzer and Verlander both looked out of gas come playoff time. Even Verlander’s first WS win was iffy, as he was in trouble the entire game. There’s legitimate concern about their workload, but I think the Mets will smartly use a 6-man rotation.
stroh
The two aces are aces, period. I agree the others are middling guys
Astros2017&22Champs
You’re acting like thats means you’re guaranteed to win the World Series now. They are absolutely old. That’s just a fact. Can Verlander repeat last year at 40? He did just miss 2 straight seasons for us. Scherzer got shelled in his lone playoff game. Quintana has sucked for 3 years before last season. Megill and Peterson have done really nothing at the MLB level. Consider it spun
Astros2017&22Champs
Guys who can pitch long relief and spot start are en vogue. The days of 5 starters are ending. How many pitchers can go 200 innings anymore? I think 3 did last year off the top of my head.
bryan c
Hence, Senga. Every reporter mentioned they are still in. Megill and Peterson to pen. Add a good lefty and a set up man. Both are out there and affordable enough. Payroll drops dramatically in two years.
bryan c
Where do you get that from? Never came close to a guarantee. I said on paper, that’s a heck of a starting five. Better than last year where they squeaked out 101 wins.
Megill had a sub 3 ERA prior to injury last year and was part of a no hitter against the Phillies. Peterson owns a mid three ERA when steady as a starter. Nothing? Ok. Blinders are cool
just_thinkin
That would appear to be why they signed the steady Quintana, no? A lot of teams would kill for this rotation.
bryan c
You sound sad that Justin left. It’s ok. They have a really good rotation without him.
DanzigInTheDark
Mets had 8 players make at least 9 starts last season. I’d want way more than 6 MLB-capable starters in the org before I call a rotation set, at least the way teams use their pitchers today.
Astros2017&22Champs
Not sad at all. Hes not worth 86 million. We’ll crush yall again next year
YourDreamGM
Set for the regular season. Will see how the old guys hold up in post season.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
So imagine that Max’s arm goes dead again and he is as hittable overall as he was in several starts last season. Verlander’s age finally catches up to him as happens to everyone eventually, Carrasco gets hurt like he often does, Quintana goes back to being atrocious like he was for the 3 preceding seasons, and Megill and Peterson who are probably talented but have not shown enough to get excited about are mediocre. That is a very expensive rotation with a lot of question marks for the price. Not to mention the shift going away will likely hurt a team like the Mets who had awful 3B and 1B defense but rated pretty well up the middle.
I certainly don’t think they will be bad or anything, but 101 wins isn’t happening.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Houston may have a better rotation, but the Mets clearly have a playoff caliber rotation as well at least until one of the old HOFers gets injured. Higher risk but the potential to go far.
bryan c
so imagine Acuna tears his ACL again and Olsen has a major injury. See I can do that too…. ifs and buts. They signed the back of the baseball card and have a very formidable top 2 to show for it. Any player can get hurt any time. These guys are signed to two year deals. Low risk with tons of money falling off the books in 24 & 25 to just reload.
bryan c
And awful defense at 1b and 3rd? you obviously did not watch or you are thinking of Philly. Escobar was okay and Baty is coming. Alonso was very good at first overall.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
They wouldn’t kill for it at $106 million for three guys, plus whatever Carrasco and the 5th starter get paid. If that were true, other teams could have just bought it like the Mets did.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
You can bank of Max sucking or having a dead arm come Choketober.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
So 30th in OAA at 3B and 32nd at 1B is very good now? That’s a hot take.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
And sure, that could happen, but it’s less likely than the Mets pitching scenario, and you were the one acting like the Met’s rotation was going to be incredible.
padam
I think the Mets are going to go with the kiddos. Vientos and Baty and LF/3B, Alvarez at C/DH, Marte in CF and moving Canha to RF. Next and final move may be Senga for the third spot in the rotation, allowing Quintana and Carrasco to fill the 4/5 spots while Peterson and Megil backup for long relief and injuries (or even a 6 man rotation for busy schedules or arm relief). The Mets farm lacks pitching prospects, but position players they have and the time has come.
bryan c
I never said that moron. I said on paper, if they add Senga, they are very good. You honestly believe Fried is going to repeat and Wright figured it all out? I’ll take my chances with HOF arms man. You’re obviously a troll homer so I could care less what you think. And I watch games rather than spew rankings per some stupid metric you follow. Baty will be fine at third and Pete is more than adequate at first. Lindor and McNeil are very good up the middle. Mets D was good last year and they didn’t shift nearly as much as other clubs. All this over Quintana? You are really getting nervous pal
bryan c
If I were a fan of the team that won 14 straight division titles and had 1 measly title to show for it I would avoid made up words like “Choketober” – I believe that is reserved for Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine clown
VonPurpleHayes
True story: Esobar and Alonso had more errors at the corners than the Phils did, but let’s keep up the narrative that the Phillies are the worst defensive team ever.
VonPurpleHayes
Actually nevermind. Lol Phillies won this one on a recount, but it’s shockingly close. Point is: Both teams sucked at the corners.
bryan c
Ooof. I’ll take Escobar or Baty over Bohm all day and Alonso over Hoskins as well. Again, eye test here. Error means you actually got to the ball and made a mistake or threw it away. Remember Bohm famously saying F you to the crowd on error #3 against the Mets? Not saying this defense is an all time great but cmon. Way better than the butcher boys.
Ella B
So imagine that Cole gets hurt and needs TJS. Judge gets plunked early in the season and misses 8 weeks with a broken hamate bone. Trevino gets dinged up early and only plays 75 games. See, anyone can be the seeds in the bud and ruin the stash.
bassrun
Crap.
metsfan1992
Not a bad move for a 4th or 5th man in the rotation. Would love to see Cohen go for Rodon or another high quality pitcher.
VonPurpleHayes
You don’t think that rotation is set now? Scherzer, Verlander, Carrasco, Quintana, Megill, Peterson. You have a solid 6-man, giving the old fellas some extra rest. I think they’re out on Senga and definitely Rodon. They move on to the pen and another bat now.
User 2079935927
Quintana stinks. Eppler I think signed him when he was with the Angels. It could have been Perry.
DanzigInTheDark
Personally I’d rather have Megill or Petersen fill in that Trevor Williams swingman role next year – let’s say they get Senga (my #1 target), they can throw out Max/Verlander/Senga/Quintana/Carrasco as their rotation, with Megill & Petersen as next man up if someone needs some time off, and Elieser Hernandez and whoever else they stock Syracuse’s rotation with as the guys you hope you don’t see at all.
SemihAutomatic
He had a great season last year (better than any of the guys the Mets are letting go), will be coming off the books at the same time as Verlander and Scherzer, is a lefty and has been consistent healthy throughout his career.
Love this move.
Silas
“F***in’ Quintana… that creep can roll, man.” The Dude
bwmiller
mets clearly on a two year timeline with the SPs, if Verlander’s third year doesnt vest they’ll have 100M off the books in ’25
Flyby
even more when you consider Alonso is also a FA that year as well. Hopefully the mets extend him soon, but still sooo much coming off that year.
and mccann contract is up too.
quints-revenge
I’m happy with it needed a lefty , now time to start digging in trade market for some pop.
vaderzim
Sources say Quintana rejected a $100 Million offer from the Padres.
Krlnd
Vaderzim that is hilarious!
vaderzim
Seems like the Padres have been offering everyone more money than they end up signing for with other teams.
User 2079935927
They should change their nickname to the San Diego Patsies. Used to drive up the contract so he can sign where he really wants too.
Inside Out
Mets love old pitchers. Third place guaranteed. Good job.
Metscansuckthis
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Quintana now that the shift is banned (foolishly at that). I’m also not sure about the Mets defense. If it isn’t above average, I could see things going south for Quintana. If they can make the plays that they should, it could be a solid addition for the back of the rotation.
VonPurpleHayes
Great points, but I think the Mets are solid up the middle. Should be interesting.
YourDreamGM
Shift will only really matter vs leftys. Many leftys won’t play against Q. Pirates D was awful. Shouldn’t be a issue.
olereb
I’m not a Mets fan, really I don’t even like them. The Mets use to develop pitchers, why give this guy 24 million dollars when they could have signed him last year for a little of nothing. He’s had what 2 good years and a whole lot of bad years and average years. Myself, I would have rolled the dice and tried my Triple A staff before I paid 24 million for a has been, I stand corrected.
YourDreamGM
Past years don’t matter. Only what he is projected to do going forward. They couldn’t have signed him last year because they didn’t have a plan to improve him nor the desire to give him an opportunity.
tstats
Mets about to go for the oldest rotation? Scherzer Verlander and Q along with Peterson and Megill? Or is Carrasco still there further cementing my point
VonPurpleHayes
Carrasco is their #3, further cementing your point.
10centBeerNight
Solid. Equivalent to Walker, but LHP. They need a #3 to replace Bassitt. You get the sense NYM are far from done and still not much ML talent signed for pen. Do Peterson and one of the young touted prospects get dealt in a blockbuster? They suffered for the deadline decision to not deal young top talent for a rental. Now they may be able to make one stud a centerpiece of a major deal
VonPurpleHayes
They have 6 SPs. They have like no bullpen. Why does everyone keep saying they need another SP?
10centBeerNight
Time will tell. Think they see Megill stuff playing better out of pen and Peterson as a shaky #5 at best. He’s a lot like Eflin was for PHI – only less consistent. Can impress one start, then not get out of 1st inning next. Not sure NYM who aspire to be a complete team want to roll with that ?
VonPurpleHayes
Ahh. That changes things then.
SemihAutomatic
They need another SP because almost the entirety of their rotation is eligible for AARP.
VonPurpleHayes
I just don’t understand the roster construction at this point. They’re already at 300MM. I’d assume it’s time to address the bullpen, but it seems like another SP is their target.
rct
I think because some of us consider Peterson and Megill to be bullpen pieces. The jury is still out. They’re sort of like Lugo when he came up. Started for a while, wasn’t super effective (but wasn’t bad), went to the bullpen and was better.
I personally don’t think Megill will be a starter, but I do think Peterson has a chance to be a really good starter. I’m basing that assessment purely on gut feeling, though.
VonPurpleHayes
Thanks for this context. In this case, Senga makes all the sense in the world and makes this rotation pretty special.
rct
I actually agree with you that they’re probably done, though, haha. I don’t see them spending much more on SPs. They’re already paying through the teeth for luxury tax and still need to address the bullpen and decide if they’re going to sign/replace Nimmo or roll with what they have and go Marte in CF and McNeil in RF (with Escobar at 2B and Baty at 3B).
LFGMets (Metsin7)
@VonPurpleHayes as of right now, the Mets might have the worst bullpen in all of baseball. Other than Diaz, they literallt have no one else. If Drew Smith is your 8th inning guy, you are gonna need your starters to go 7-8 innings and let Diaz get 6 out saves every game. Can make a servicable bullpen by signing Brad Hand, Chafin, Fulmer, Ottavino, and trade for some relievers like Hunter Harvey, Kyle Finnegan, etc.
JackStrawb
@VonPurpleHayes Because they don’t have 6 remotely reliable SPs,at this point and b/c it’s about getting 162 starts rather than trying to fill 5 rotation slots. Figure…
Verlander 25
Quintana 25
Scherzer 23
Carrasco 20
Peterson 15
That’s 108 starts, and you may not want to see Carrasco and Petey pitch that much. Where are the remaining 54 starts coming from?
Megill’s not remotely reliable. Lucchesi may need another year, even two before you want him on an MLB mound.
Ella B
“Petey” cute.
More realistic:
Velander-30 starts
Scherzer-27 starts
Quintana-25 starts
Carrassco-25 starts
Peterson-20 starts
Megill-10 starts.
So by my math, that’s 137 starts. Maybe Cohen blows it up and adds Senga for the last 25 starts. Problem solved!
MPrck
Are the Mets saying the dead ball era is here to stay. ? Going all in for the next two years ? It’s going to be an exciting division to watch this year. They have the pitching.
padam
What was once one of the youngest teams in the league has suddenly turned in the other direction with many of the signings the past couple of years. Hopefully they have some sort of a plan for pitching in two years, and hopefully the age of the arms don’t show up during playoff time.
C Yards Jeff
I watched Butto in person at a Bowie Bay Sox game in 22. Nothing eye popping to see, but easily kept a quality Bay Sox line up at bay. Intrigued, looked him up. His calling card is deceptive delivery. If he shows up at ST, can he go north?
angt222
Solid veteran SP to hold down the back end of the starting rotation. Wanted to see Quintana in Queens for a couple seasons now. Was in the Mets organization before debuting with CWS.
MooseIsLoose
Heard the Padres offered him 2/ $40M.
Jordan 5
Solid pick up.
dp7
Hopefully the Mets get one more pitcher. Peterson should be kept in the pen in case if injuries.
put it in the books
Great signing
mikeyny
Mets opening day rotation average age = 35
And that’s if they let Peterson be the 5th starter. If they bring back Bassit it goes up to 36.
Games Started 2021.
Quintana- 32
Carrasco- 29
Verlander- 28
Scherzer – 23
Petersen- 19
Gonna need some more security
padam
All of them are gone within 2 years. Take a look at all the top shelf starters that will become available in the next two years.
Mets are saving their dollars for specific targets in the upcoming years.
JackStrawb
@mikeyny Well said. Expect the # of those starts to go down in each case due to age and regression.
As for Carrasco he hasn’t had a league average ERA in 70 ip more than once in the last four years. He might give you 20-25 starts, but you also might prefer not to have them.
msqboxer
He’ll take the ball and keep you in the game 50% of the time all the time…..
bighiggy
It contains bits of real panther!
jt33nym
Considering what the SP market has been so far, 2/26 looks like a steal. Good signing
VonPurpleHayes
Per Jeff Passan, “as currently constructed, Mets will have to pay 34 million in Lux Tax penalties and every dollar they spent gets taxed 90%…” Steve Cohen is a mad man and he isn’t stopping.
Canosucks
Cano’s 20 million will come off after 2023 season
Rishi
Everyone else is making so much but his contract is relatively cheap. He is making less than Jansen and I’d much rather gamble on him personally then Kenley, who is shaky and in decline but still a decent reliever. I’m sure they are happier to pay this than Walkers recent contract.
JohnChasse
Von: “I agree, but if they get Senga, perhaps they deal one of Megill or Peterson. These kids need to pitch and if they get another starter, they’re blocked.”
I wouldn’t be adverse to offering both of them as a starting point for a Brian Reynolds deal. Pirates want young starting pitching, Mets want a CF.
VonPurpleHayes
@JohnChasse Now you’re talking. That would be crazy and smart.
dp7
I’d include one of them for Reynolds + prospects. Not much in the minors to help incase of injuries.
JackStrawb
@JohnChasse Well, neither is blocked because the aim isn’t to fill 5 rotation slots—which will need regular subs for due to age & injury—but rather to find 162 starts over the course of the season.
Even a rotation like Verlander, Scherzer, Senga, Quintana, Carrasco is likely to be at least 30 starts short of 162. Dealing Megill is selling low, and Peterson wasn’t quite league average by OPS+ when he was starting in 2022.
Neither is a good bet to turn into even a solid #4. They’d be throw-ins in a deal for Reynolds or anyone else, really. The Mets would do well to see if they can’t significantly increase the value of each in 2023—and they have a strong need for two spot starters who can go multiple innings out of the pen.
rct
Interesting that in seven of his eleven years in the majors, he’s pitched in exactly 32 games.
LordD99
A deal in-line with how Cohen is operating. Shorter-term deals increase roster flexibility, allowing the team to more easily pivot year to year.
While Walker had more high-end stuff, Quintana is more likely to post and five innings. Verlander and Quintana will take pressure off the pen. A lot of pressure.
orange2001
Yikes. 29 teams just dodged a bullet. Good luck to the Mets.
rct
He had a 2.99 FIP in 165 innings last year. He’ll slot in as a 4/5 in the Mets rotation. Not sure how the other teams are “dodging a bullet” by not signing him to this relatively modest deal.
orange2001
I wouldn’t bet $26M that he will replicate last season’s numbers. Look for him to regress to his 2019-2021 numbers.
rct
You’re only betting $13 million per season, which in this market is not a lot.
SODOMOJO
The Mets rotation is older than the bags in the Supreme Court.
rct
Are the bags in the Supreme Court old? What kind of bags are we talking here? Mail bags? Jansport? Potato sacks? Burlap bags with a big dollar sign on the side?
SODOMOJO
We’re talking cat burglar burlap sacks, coming apart at the seams old. Cobwebs in their underwear old.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Sodomojo
Did you misspell Sotomayer? Your user-name is awfully close!
SODOMOJO
Lol coffee through the nose laugh. She’s not even 70 yet so still a pup
MLB Top 100 Commenter
20 years to catch RBG
BSHH
The contract is fine in itself. The Mets might have specifically wanted to add another LHP to their rotation. But there are two issues I find remarkable:
– After his very impressive run with St. Louis, I really wonder why they let him go for such an overall modest amount. They might not have had a glaring need, but I guess even the Cardinals would pay some money for a starter they deem capable of sporting a sub 3.00 ERA with them.
– Cohen will hopefully survive it financially, but now every new contract the Mets sign will infer an additional tax of 90%. That could make Nimmo the technically most expensive player, if he resigns for a $ 23m-ish AAV…
Gruß,
BSHH
JackStrawb
Like most of the rich, Cohen profited hugely from Covid. When he bought the Mets his net was 14bn. Now it’s 17bn. If he drops $100m a year on payroll for the next decade compared to LAD or NYY, he won’t even notice.
SODOMOJO
I hope I’m not the only one who remembers Quintys early peak fondly for fantasy. Talk about consistent. 200 innings and 170 ks was a lock for this guy for 5-6 years.
Lyman Bostock
We better sign a big bat and fortify the pen if we’re going to expect to win games when this guy pitches every 5th game. I absolutely am not a fan of this signing. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t go horribly wrong for the Mets.
PoloGrounds62
Where’s Nimmo?
phenomenalajs
They’re working on finding Nimmo.
Lyman Bostock
I do want Nimmo back. But he has a long injury history. But I do love his attitude and his gritty at bats. Great for the team culture, I def want him to stay. On top of bringing him in, I think we need another impact bat. There just wasn’t enough thump outside of Alonso and Lindor. Cahna, Escobar and an absolute zero at catcher just doesn’t cut it. Also, McNeil and Marte didn’t have much power not to mention Marte couldn’t stay healthy all year. We got through that with great starting pitching and a good pen. And that was without Degrom most of the year, and Scherzer missing time. If it’s possible, I sign Nimmo, sign or trade for a power bar even if it’s a DH type and then I go hard at building that pen.
JackStrawb
@Lyman Bostock A full season of Baty, Vientos, and Vogelbach, with Alvarez coming up mid-year might provide that missing thump.
Nimmo back, of course, but if they sign Senga and add an actual bullpen, CBT payroll’s already around $355m-360m. The power probably has to be homegrown, and gotten at the deadline if that falls through..
Ma4170
I have real optimism about all three of them, and hope they don’t send them down to AAA unless it’s for Alvarez to work on defense
panj341
Yet another example of the pirates stupidity in these one year contracts they prefer.
Can’t afford him if he bounces back so they have to start all over looking for pitching help every year.
YourDreamGM
It’s the players who demand the 1 year contracts.
YourDreamGM
A plus signing. Cheaper than a lot of starters signed. Less years. Lefty. I project him to be as good or better.
meckert
Eh. Lukewarm at best.
Lyman Bostock
Agreed. Do we have any SP prospects in the minors? We can’t just rely on these older free agents forever. I know when Cohen took over the team he specifically stated that he wanted to build up the farm even if it meant he had to spend hard on FA. So far they’re held back dealing from their farm. So he’s stuck to that plan. But can anyone let me know if we have any SP talent in the farm? Anything promising?
Ma4170
Yes, but the ones that are closer are more mid-back end potential guys. Butto, Hamel
Vasil is intriguing and getting more attention, so maybe he can be the DeGrom rarity that developed more than expected. Tidwell is the one with real top of rotation of potential, and of course Matt Allan if he can just stay healthy! They see Ziegler as potential closer material.
JackStrawb
@Lyman Bostock Here’s a solid, basic website, with ETAs that lean optimistic, and includes cups of coffee.
mlb.com/prospects/mets/
There’s no Met pitching prospect in the organization’s top 7, and no pitching prospect is top 100 among all prospects in the game.
No Met pitching prospect of note is due up in 2023 or even expected to meaningfully contribute in 2024, so there’s that. A guy like Butto might be up, but he can’t keep the ball in the park in the upper minors, so…
Ma4170
Allan used to be top 100 before the injuries, and Tidwell will be there soon, no doubt. Ziegler will be interesting to watch. A lot of swing and miss, but also a lot of walks.
Ma4170
As a Met fan, I hope this works out, but I honestly think this is a terrible move. I really don’t want to have to come back on here in July when Q has a 4.75 era and have to say I was right, but I see nothing good about this signing. At all. See him way closer to 2019-21 than last year, unless he’s another one who’s learned how to use the sticky stuff and not get caught.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Ma4170
If his era is around 4.00-4.25, he will be just fine slotted as a fourth starter.
Ma4170
Manny
I know, I’m trying to talk myself into liking it. Met fan with mental scars going back to the Seaver trade.
Also, I assumed he was the Bassitt replacement and it’s sounding like that’s not necessarily the case.
jakec77
I’m hoping come July he’s still in the rotation.
One good season out of the past six. One acceptable season out of the past three.
PutPeteinthehall
The real trouble is the third time thru the lineup. He can’t go more than five innings. Every game he starts taxes the bullpen extra. Should have signed Cueto.
jakec77
There has never been a better time to have cheap young pitching, the free agent market is nuts.
Marlins should be able to get a killer return.
Rsox
I’m thinking the Rangees and Mets are out on Rodon which is making his market interesting. He may not get the big money deal he was expecting, or at least not where we thought it would be
hyraxwithaflamethrower
He’s a solid back of the rotation pitcher. Mets could have done worse.
Pachoo
He had to sign a 1 year $2M deal to pitch for the Pirates last year. That is how bad his career was going. He will be 34 this year. What are the chances he repeats what looks like a very fluky, lucky year last year (very lucky low HR rate that doesn’t look repeatable, soft tosser who relies on infield defense in a year where the shift is banned)?
Hebner3B
A lot if these teams will regret dishing out so much money to these guys.
citizen
as a braves fan this is an excellent move by the mets
vs atl:
gs w L IP TBF H R ER HR BB SO
1 0 1 4.2. 28 9. 6 6 3. 3 6
1 0 1 2.1. 18 7 7 7 1 4 1
LFGMets (Metsin7)
This guy + this contract gives me Jason Vargas vibes. Probably gonna end up doing the same as him when he was on the Mets
jwt421
As a #4 he is fine. How quickly we forget Walker’s 2021 2nd half. He was 0-8 with close to 8.00 era. He was our #4/5 last year and Quintana had a better year. It’s not an upgrade for the Mets but it’s also not the huge drop that some people are making it out to be.
JackStrawb
Yeah, that’s just weird. Walker also had an ERA of 4.80 from July 26 through the end of 2022 iirc.
He’s a very good 100 inning pitcher that the Mets completely misused in 2021 and 2022.
DarrenDreifortsContract
The Mets won’t win 80 games next season.
nottinghamforest13
It has been suggested Quintana, who does a lot of off-season work about drunk driving awareness, did not want to return to St. Louis because he was so disgusted by how the team continually protected broadcaster Dan McLaughlin, a known alcoholic. A couple days ago McLaughlin was arrested on his third DUI so the timing is notable.
JackStrawb
Well done!
Quint had a superb year by his lights, and assuming they can piece together at least a slightly above average offense, he’ll keep them in games all year long.
Strange to read this might mean the Mets deal Carrasco. Assuming they sign Senga (just a 130-140 inning guy at this point in his career), as well, without Carrasco they’ll be struggling in the #5 spot and struggling whenever one of the front four is out, which will be increasingly often as the year goes on.
They’ll also want the option of resting Verlander and Scherzer in advance of a 4-round postseason (they’re not passing the Braves in the East short of a $380m payroll), so dealing a guy in Cookie who might soak up 125 innings in 25 starts with an ERA close to league average for $11m is not a good idea.
Pachoo
Jesus, what is this fascination the Mets have with old ass players. They will easily have the oldest rotation in baseball:
Verlander – 40
Scherzer – 39 next July
Carassco: 36
Quintana : 34
Petersen: 27
Average age of 35.2 years lol. That is a recipe for disaster, especially when their minor leagues have no legit arms even close to ready as a starter.
The Met’s lineup is also very old (31.5 average years old for their 8 starters that dont play center field. Lets see if they sign Nimmo or someone older there).. Do they have the oldest roster in the league? I’d bet that they do.
Ma4170
Not if they insert baty Alvarez and vientos as starters. But if they don’t, it’s an older lineup for sure, but no real veterans at the end of the line. Alonso lindor McNeil in prime years, but unfortunately looks like Nimmo will be gone.
citizen
Mets are trying to win now and buy a ws champion ship without brinnging up aaa starters, they may have none, so they can sell the team at an inflated price.
chemfinancing
if they were making a movie about the mets this season it would be called mets 2021 season part 2