PORT ST. LUCIE — For a second straight winter the Mets avoided the high end of the free agent market in addressing their pitching needs.
Blake Snell, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes were among the tantalizing possibilities, but president of baseball operations David Stearns stuck with what largely worked last offseason in looking for sensible smaller deals that wouldn’t involve large outlays for pitchers in their 30s.
With it comes the risk the Mets are undermanned, especially in the starting rotation. It will be a key point in this spring training, which began with Monday’s report date for pitchers and catchers at Clover Park.
It’s a rotation in which Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Griffin Canning are expected to begin as the top six. Depth options include Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn and Jose Buttó.
“I think we have great guys — nasties,” catcher Francisco Alvarez said Monday. “I think we are the best rotation and we have one of the best pitching guys in the league [pitching coach Jeremy Hefner], so I think we are going to be very good.”
Much of the intrigue surrounds Senga.
Last year at this time, the Japanese right-hander was a celebrated component of the rotation, following a rookie season in which he pitched to a 2.98 ERA and recorded 202 strikeouts in 166 ¹/₃ innings.
But Senga’s shoulder discomfort early in camp turned into him opening the season on the injured list with a strain, and he didn’t pitch for the team until July 26, following various setbacks.
But Senga’s misery wasn’t behind him: In the sixth inning of that start against the Braves, he strained his left calf as he bounced off the mound to avoid incoming infielders on a pop-up. Senga wasn’t seen again until the postseason; without a full rehab, he pitched to a 12.60 ERA in three appearances.
There will be questions not only about Senga’s effectiveness as he returns, but also whether he can be depended upon for a significant number of innings following his light workload last year.
“I am very happy he’s healthy, so I think it’s going to be better than last year with Senga in the rotation,” Alvarez said. “He is going to help the team a lot.”
Stearns’ big investment in the starting rotation was the three-year contract worth $75 million to re-sign Sean Manaea.
The left-hander is coming off a breakout season in which he emerged as the team ace in the second half after employing a low-arm-slot delivery. Manaea, 33, led the Mets with 181 ²/₃ innings pitched.
The Mets are hopeful that Frankie Montas (who arrived on a two-year contract worth $34 million) can be this season’s version of Luis Severino, who resurrected his career with the club after arriving on a one-year deal.
Severino parlayed his success into a three-year contract with the A’s worth $67 million. Montas pitched to a 4.84 ERA in 30 starts for the Reds and Brewers, but Mets officials see a live arm with higher potential.
Clay Holmes was twice an All-Star reliever with the Yankees, but is now getting an opportunity in the rotation.
“It’s something you are interested to see, because it’s not an easy transition,” reliever Ryne Stanek said. “But if there is somebody that can do it — he’s a big dude — I would bet on the guy, on the big physical guy with stuff that plays. He was high velocity in the bullpen, and even if that ticks down a touch in the rotation … he’s got all the tools to make it work. I am not going to bet against him.”
David Peterson was a steady performer in the rotation last season and led all Mets starting pitchers with a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts. The lefty was also an important piece of the postseason bullpen.
Canning arrived on a one-year contract worth $4.25 million after pitching to a 5.19 ERA in 32 appearances for the Angels. The Mets are intrigued by his upside and the fact he pitched 171 ²/₃ innings last season.
“The thing I look at it is: Do you have guys that have proven to be healthy?” Stanek said. “That’s a huge thing. You have a lot of guys that are in the rotation or are slated to be in the mix that are healthy, they eat innings. That’s huge, and guys with good stuff, and go from there.”
