In free agency, the New York Mets have made their first big move, and it goes without saying that more are coming.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets have made inquiries about right-handed starter Walker Buehler, among other pitchers, in an attempt to strengthen their rotation after signing starting pitcher Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal.
Buehler, 30, was a vital part of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ playoff run and recently won his second World Series. The right-hander, who had a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts during the regular season, had a stellar October campaign, throwing 13 straight scoreless innings, including scoreless starts against the New York Yankees in the World Series and the Mets in the NLCS, before recording a save in the decisive Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
Buehler had a 39-13 record and 14.4 fWAR with a 2.82 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, and 620 punchouts from 2018 to 2021, making him one of the top pitchers in the major leagues prior to 2024. The 30-year-old, however, spent the entire 2023 season recuperating from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair, which ended his 2022 season. It wasn’t until the 2024 postseason that he was able to completely recover.
Sherman pointed out that the Mets’ approach to signing free-agent pitchers may be reflected in their pursuit of Buehler. Rather than aiming for the best arms available (like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried), New York is exploring the option of signing high-potential pitchers to short-term deals, similar to their approach in the 2023–24 offseason when they brought in Luis Severino on a one-year contract and Sean Manaea on a two-year deal (which included an opt-out that Manaea utilized after a strong 2024 season).
Although Mets owner Steve Cohen’s willingness to spend provides a much larger budget, David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, has employed a similar strategy to the one he used during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“The Mets signed 10 free agents to major league contracts last offseason, and only Sean Manaea received more than one guaranteed year, with a two-year deal that included a player option for 2025,” noted Sherman. “Stearns is adaptable enough to avoid rigidly adhering to a single approach. Both his tenure with the Mets and this offseason are still unfolding. However, unless proven otherwise, Stearns appears to favor this philosophy, particularly when it comes to pitching.”
It is important to note that the Mets had a significant amount of dead money on their payroll last offseason, notably the contracts of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, thus Stearns may have had no choice but to take this action. The Mets’ pursuit of superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who is seeking a deal well over $600 million in free agency, may be the reason why Stearns is seemingly putting together the rotation in the same way as before, despite those disastrous deals being off the books.
In the end, Buehler is the type of rotation arm that New York is seeking because of his tremendous talent and upside, which have apparently gone unappreciated this winter. Even though he would cost far more in subsequent seasons, the Mets could be able to acquire exceptional production at a fraction of the cost by signing the righty to a short-term contract.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the righty and the cross-town rival Yankees have expressed “mutual interest” in signing Buehler, indicating that the Mets are not the only team vying for his talents. On the other hand, the Mets’ rotation would be greatly enhanced if they were able to sign the 30-year-old.
