Poll: What's the best way for Mets to add a top-of-the-rotation pitcher?

It’s no secret that the Mets need pitching and fortunately for them, there are three avenues where they can import a top-of-the rotation hurler. Each comes with their own pros and cons, which makes opting for one over the other not a cut-and-dried choice. Let’s look at the top contenders:

Free Agency

Whether you like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried – the pros and cons will be the same. They’re veteran pitchers with track records of success in the majors. But Burnes will be 30 next year while Fried will be 31. They’re older than the other top options and they’ll require the highest financial outlay.

Trade

The biggest name on the block right now is Garrett Crochet. There was talk about him being dealt at the trade deadline last year but the White Sox did not get their asking price met then. Rumor has it that the club will be looking at acquiring hitting in return for their top starter. Crochet will be 26 next year and under team control thru the 2026 season. But it might take three top prospects to get him, plus other players, as well.

Japan Posting

Roki Sasaki was just posted and will pitch in the U.S. next season. Last year at age 22, he went 10-5 with 2.35 ERA for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He’s the youngest of the top options and because of his age, he is only allowed to sign a minor league contract. MLB rules do not allow players under 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything but a minor league deal. His deal would count toward his signing team’s international bonus pool allotment. It’s not clear yet if his signing would count against the 2024 pool – which if we go strictly by date, it should. Or if MLB will allow a Sasaki signing to count against the 2025 pool, instead, to allow more teams more money to give to Sasaki.

Neither option is great for the Mets. They have fewer than $1 million left from the 2024 International Free Agent market and are rumored to have already agreed to a $5 million deal with Elian Pena for the 2025 IFA class. The Mets are expected to have around $6.2 million in their IFA pool for ’25.