The New York Mets haven’t splurged in free agency or made a big-time move to bolster their starting rotation for the 2026 MLB season. Nonetheless, there are plenty of free agents still on the board and New York are getting a message about one particular player.
One of the free agents who could help improve the Mets’ rotation and is a familiar name to New York is Ranger Suarez. The free-agent pitcher knows the NL East and has experience pitching in a demanding market during his time with the Philadelphia Phillies.
As a result, SNY’s John Jastremski believes that the Mets need to go all out for Suarez, considering the player is only 30 years old.
“When it comes to free agency, I want Ranger Suarez to be the No. 3 starter, whatever it might be in this rotation,” Jastremski said in a video posted on December 30 on SNY. “This is a guy who’s a gamer. He’s taking the ball every fifth day. He eats innings.
“You’re taking him away from the Philadelphia Phillies, so I like that as far as the division is concerned. The guy knows how to pitch. There’s something to be said for adding somebody who is as feisty a competitor as Ranger Suarez is. I think the Mets could use that vibe.”
The Mets Might Not Want to Overspend in Free Agency
Nonetheless, in that same segment, Dani Wexelman noted that the Mets might not be looking to overspend in free agency under team president of baseball operations David Stearns.
“I think what’s really hard about the situation is feeling like there’s a very tiny box of things that David Stearns is willing to do,” Wexelman said. “I don’t know if he’s willing to give the years and the money to Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez.”
Mets Are One of Several Teams Linked to Ranger Suarez
While it remains a mystery whether the Mets want to meet Suarez’s camp’s demands, New York are a team keen on the veteran pitcher. Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed the Top 6 remaining free agents this winter, and Suarez was one of the names he gave an update on. Furthermore, he linked the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Mets to the left-hander.
“His postseason excellence should make him a prime target (his 1.48 postseason ERA is third-best this century, after Mariano Rivera (0.86) and Stephen Strasburg (1.46)),” Heyman wrote in an article on January 1.
“The Orioles, Giants, Mets, and Cubs are among teams linked to Suarez. He has elite command – he was judged having the best command in MLB and above average location with six different pitches – but he hasn’t logged the enormous number of innings of Valdez. Of course, lower “mileage” could also be perceived positively.”
New York have moved on from several key players such as Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo. Stearns is now molding the team in his vision. It will be interesting to see if he stays away from the overspending that can occur in free agency, or if he has another way to bolster the starting rotation.
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