PostSportsPlus: Why Carlos Rodon could be the answer to tricky questions about the Mets’ aging rotation
In a win-now mode, the team last November added Max Scherzer, who turned 38 in July, and also featured the 35-year-old Carlos Carrasco and Jacob deGrom, who turned 34 in June. Chris Bassitt, who arrived in a trade from the A’s, turned 33 before the season.
Does owner Steve Cohen set a strict two-year limit on a deGrom deal? Three years? DeGrom has indicated he plans to opt out from his contract, and a team desperate for a marquee attraction with Cy Young upside might be willing to hand over the moon to get it. Bassitt was maybe the Mets’ most consistent starting pitcher, but he’s now headed toward free agency as somebody who will turn 34 in spring training. Team brass loved Bassitt’s dependability this season, but if deGrom and Carrasco stay — with Scherzer signed for two additional years — can the Mets justify keeping another older pitcher?
The Mets had a lefty on their mind last offseason, but Steven Matz spurned a return to Citi Field to sign with the Cardinals,, whom he accused of “unprofessional” behavior. Matz was a disappointment for the Cardinals, pitching to a 5.25 ERA in 15 appearances before a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee ended his season.
“The thing that is tough, and a lot of people don’t understand, when the baby is in there full-time, parents still have to go to work, they are not just sitting in the hospital all the time,” McCann said. “We go and visit … once in a while, we get a note from someone thanking us for the gift package that we left them. We’re just letting them know that as somebody who has been in their shoes, that as tough as it is right now, there’s brighter days ahead.