Could a former National League Cy Young Award contender be the final piece to the Mets’ starting rotation?
According to industry sources, team officials have maintained dialogue with veteran left-hander Gio Gonzalez’s camp, as general manager Brodie Van Wagenen searches for a potential upgrade over Jason Vargas at the rotation’s back end. Adding Gonzalez or another proven starter would allow the Mets to shift Vargas to the bullpen, providing rotation depth.
As it stands, the Mets’ starting pitching depth consists of Corey Oswalt, Hector Santiago and Kyle Dowdy, among others. Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are assured spots in the rotation, if healthy.
Gonzalez, 33, split last season between the Nationals and Brewers, pitching to a 4.21 ERA and 1.444 WHIP in 32 starts. He has dominated at Citi Field, pitching to a 1.75 ERA in his career. Gonzalez finished sixth in the NL Cy Young balloting as recently as 2017, when he pitched to a 2.96 ERA for the Nationals.
Van Wagenen’s busy offseason has included trading for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz and signing free agents Wilson Ramos, Jeurys Familia, Jed Lowrie and Justin Wilson. The starting rotation is the only area of the club that has gone untouched.
Vargas, who signed a two-year contract worth $16 million with the Mets last February, was 7-9 with a 5.77 ERA for the team last season. But the veteran left-hander rebounded after a nightmarish first half to pitch respectably in the second half: He was 5-3 with a 3.81 ERA in his final 11 starts in 2018.
Vargas began last season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove the hamate bone in his right (non-pitching) hand. He sustained the injury on a batted ball in spring training, and team officials cited his shortened camp as a reason for his sluggish performance in the first half.