A look at Mets' in-house options for SP depth
WASHINGTON -- Time and again this offseason, the Mets passed on opportunities to improve their starting pitching depth, limiting themselves to a series of minor moves. In April, the Mets made an offer to but did not sign Gio Gonzalez, who has pitched well for the Brewers. Since that time,
WASHINGTON -- Time and again this offseason, the Mets passed on opportunities to improve their starting pitching depth, limiting themselves to a series of minor moves. In April, the Mets made an offer to but did not sign Gio Gonzalez, who has pitched well for the Brewers. Since that time, they have kept tabs on -- but otherwise ignored -- free agent Dallas Keuchel.
All the while, team officials have touted the strength of their in-house options, which haven’t performed the way they’ve envisioned. With
The Mets fell to 0-3 in games started by pitchers who were not in their Opening Day rotation, and they have been outscored 18-5 in those games.
“I have faith that somebody’s going to step up,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “We need them to step up and I think eventually they will.”
Wednesday, the Nationals scored three runs before Font recorded his second out. Although Font did make it through a scoreless second inning, Victor Robles led off the third with a homer, and Howie Kendrick chased the Mets’ starter from the game with an RBI double.
“I just didn’t really have the same type of control,” said Font, who earned Wednesday’s opportunity after allowing two runs in four innings in his Mets debut.
In the short term, the Mets’ rotation should be just fine.
In the long term, the Mets’ depth issues seem more concerning. The team has used seven starters already this season and, if history is any guide, will lean on three or four more over the course of the year. Candidates include:
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• Hector Santiago, a veteran who nearly made the Mets’ Opening Day roster but missed out after two poor Grapefruit League starts to end spring. At Syracuse, Santiago has been consistent, but not overpowering. He’s allowed no more than three runs in any start, but he has also completed six innings just once.
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• Anthony Kay, a 24-year-old who is still at Double-A Binghamton but boasts the highest ceiling of anyone on this list. The Mets’ seventh-ranked prospect, Kay owns a 1.24 ERA in eight starts at Binghamton, and he could become a rotation option later this season.
The Mets have been resistant to using relievers
“We have options,” Callaway said. “We just need one of them to step up.”
Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo, Instagram and Facebook.