Well, it’s safe to say that the 2013 season didn’t turn out the way the fans in Queens were hoping. Aside from Matt Harvey’s early season brilliance and the exciting opportunity to host the MLB All Star Game at the beautiful Citi Field, the Mets didn’t have a whole lot of bright spots this season.
And of course, just a quick glance at mlb.com/standings will show you that once again the Mets are well out of mathematical contention for this year’s playoffs.
So, as we all must do with our teams at one time or another, it’s about time to look forward to next season. Here are a few words on the Mets’ outlook for 2014, with specific regard to the pitching staff – where things are pretty up in the air these days.
Johan Santana, barring a miraculous and unforeseen turn of events, is done with the Mets. With Santana missing 2013 due to injury and recovery, and his 2014 contract a team option that wont be picked up, he’ll certainly be on his way, possibly to retirement (though he insists otherwise).
Matt Harvey will be around when he’s healthy, but there’s no telling whether or not he’ll be ready to start 2014. Jonathan Niese will be returning, and has posted a respectable 2013 season after dealing with a shoulder injury earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee, and Carlos Torres (who will probably move back to the bullpen in 2014) are still under team control while Daisuke Matsuzaka is on expiring deal and is not expected to return, as you can see at sportrac.com.
With Dice-K coming off the books, and Harvey (along with Jeremy Hefner) potentially out for next season due to injury uncertainty, there’s potential in the free agent market to significantly upgrade the staff around Wheeler, Gee and Niese next year.
Here are a few strong but likely fairly priced free agent-to-be pitchers to keep an eye on:
- Hiroki Kuroda – Kuroda has had a stellar season in the Bronx, and with the Yankees looking to get younger, and not without pitching talent in their system, they could let him go and spend the money elsewhere. A transition to the Mets could be smooth.
- Ervin Santana – Through this past weekend, Santana has posted a very strong 3.23 ERA for Kansas City this year, and never seems to stay put long. Santana could be on the move, and the Mets should give him a call.
- AJ Burnett – Burnett has had a resurgence with Pittsburgh, and it’s unlikely he’d want to be back in NY after his disastrous Yankees tenure. But he’s looking like an All Star pitcher again, so he too may be worth a call.
It will be a while before the full outlook for the Mets’ 2014 season is clear. Once this year’s playoffs are over, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for updates, and check up on betting.betfair.com – a dynamic online gambling exchange that gives clear odds for favorites – to see how people are viewing the Mets’ potential.
But clearing out the pitching staff and targeting a few of these players, along with getting Harvey back as quickly as possible should be a great start.
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