What Starting Pitchers Could the Mets Target This Offseason?

The Mets’ starting pitchers are probably the most scrutinized group coming out of the 2025 season, and reasonably so.

You know the headline stat: Mets starters were first in ERA (2.79) in baseball through June 12, then the season blew up, and they were 27th in the league (5.27) across the rest of the year. It’s an area the Mets must address this winter, and they can’t simply patch things together or count on health.

David Stearns said it would be “foolish” to expect 30 starts out of Kodai Senga after his injury history the last two years. Sean Manaea was hurt for most of 2025. They had a half dozen other starters reach career-highs in innings, and you’ll have to see how their bodies respond to that in the spring. Nolan McLean may be a future ace, and Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat could be impact starters in 2026, but you can’t count on that, either.

So, it’s time to go get some proven, high-quality starters for the rotation. Here a couple of names it would make sense to go after.

Joe Ryan

Joe Ryan will be the biggest name on the trade market this offseason. He was on the verge of joining the purge of the Twins’ roster at the 2025 trade deadline, but his price seemed too high for teams. David Stearns alluded to getting more “aggressive” in acquiring talent, which makes me think he didn’t try and best Boston’s offer for Garrett Crochet. Though Ryan may not quite be at Crochet’s level, don’t be surprised if the Mets are involved in Joe Ryan trade rumors.

Ryan, who has two years of team control left, is turning 30 in June and has a lifetime 3.79 ERA in 114 starts (and one relief appearance) since he was called up to the majors in 2021.

Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suárez has been the Phillies’ most consistent pitcher since 2021. Since becoming a full-time starter, Suárez has an ERA in the mid-3s and shown flashes of brilliance and No. 1 starter stuff. In reality, he’s more of a 2 or really good 3, and it’d be tough to think the Phillies would let him walk—especially to a division rival. But he’s got plus-stuff across multiple pitches and should be a name the Mets are at least interested in.

Dylan Cease & Zac Gallen

I’m bunching Dylan Cease and Zac Gallen together because they were both highly effective starters for their clubs (Padres and Diamondbacks) who took steps back in 2025, a year before their free agency. They’ll both have qualifying offers attached to them, too.

• Cease is a workhorse who can still strike everyone out and could have better results with some better defense. He had a 4.55 ERA (3.56 FIP) in 168 innings with 215 strikeouts. He hasn’t spent any time on the injured list (outside of a COVID-related illness) since he came up to the majors in 2019.
• Gallen, like Cease, shows up for work. He’s tossed 734 innings over the last four years, compiling a 3.63 ERA (3.56 FIP) over that time. However, he stunk for most of this year. He had a 5.60 ERA before the trade deadline, and once the Diamondbacks decided to keep him and benefit from any compensatory pick if he left this offseason, he had a much more in line 3.36 ERA over 65 innings to end the year. There will be a market for his services.

Merrill Kelly

Likely a more cost-effective option, Merrill Kelly will pitch 2026 at age 37. However, he still has quality stuff that allows him to be effective. He combined to throw 184 innings with Arizona and Texas this year, notching a 3.52 ERA (3.76 FIP) along the way. He’d be a quality middle-of-the-rotation arm for a rotation that needs stability.

Names Not Mentioned

• Framber Valdez, despite his antics in August, seems to be the pitcher who’d make the most money on the market this offseason. I just don’t see a world in which they pay a 32-year-old Valdez the money he’s likely looking for.
• Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are probably going to pitch again. No thank you.
• Griffin Canning will be recovering from his Achilles injury, and he could be worth a minor-league deal as he does, but it’d be surprising to see him be an effective starter in 2026.
• Michael King is an interesting name, but an injury-plagued 2025 are the exact red flags that Stearns will likely try to avoid.
• Lucas Giolito came off internal brace surgery and pitched wonderfully, enough so to hit a vesting option to turn his 2026 contract into a mutual option. After throwing 145 innings this year to a 3.41 ERA, he will likely opt out, but he ended the year with a shoulder injury. I’d stay away, given similar reasons as King.

There will probably be a dozen other names the Mets could be interested in signing that weren’t covered here. We will likely have plenty of free agent profiles that will, though!

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