Mets Targeting Former Pitcher of Rivals

There aren't a ton of expectations placed upon the New York Mets like in seasons past.

They didn't shell out huge dollar figures in free agency, they sold off many of their top assets at last year's trade deadline, and they aren't expected to do much of anything in 2024.

David Stearns all but confirmed that his approach is to use this season as a gap year of sorts as they wait for large contracts to come off their books and they evaluate the young players who will get opportunities throughout the year.

Even with that mindset though, the Mets still need to field a competent team that doesn't put strain on players for future seasons.

The injury news that came out about their ace Kodai Senga certainly doesn't help things in their rotation.

If he misses extended periods of time, they'll likely want to have another option on their roster who can fill in as needed.

According to Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic, they are looking at a former pitcher of their division rival Philadelphia Phillies as a possibility.

"The New York Mets have recently checked in on free-agent starters, including Michael Lorenzen, league sources said."

The right-hander is coming off an All-Star performance with the Detroit Tigers during the first half of the season before he was shipped to the Phillies.

His tenure got off to a great start there, throwing a no-hitter in his second start, before his production completely fell off a cliff and they moved him into the bullpen down the stretch.

Still, for what New York might be looking for in their rotation, Michael Lorenzen seems like a solid option after appearing in 29 games, starting 25, and posting an ERA of 4.18 across 153 innings pitched.

However, Britton and Sammon make it seem like the talks weren't too serious.

"... the communication likely reflects a desire to stay connected if they have another injury rather than imminent, serious interest," they wrote.

It will be interesting to see how this progresses.

The front office mentioned they didn't feel urgency to go out and add another starting pitcher after Senga went down with an injury.

Whether that sentiment changes or not will be seen.