Mets GM Zack Scott On Acquiring Starting Pitching: 'That's Definitely Our Priority And Has Been For A While'
All eyes will be on Mets general manager Zack Scott and the front office, as we continue to get closer to the July 30 trade deadline.
And with Jacob deGrom on the injured list with right forearm tightness, the Mets have only three healthy starters in their rotation in Taijuan Walker, Marcus Stroman and Tylor Megill.
This has given the underwhelming stop-gap option of Jerad Eickhoff a spot, and has also forced the Mets to go with either Robert Stock or an opener in the No. 5 slot.
It's safe to say that they are in desperate need of starting pitching at this point, as we approach the deadline next week.
And the good news is, Scott seems to agree.
"That's definitely a focus as of today," said Scott, who joined the Big Time Baseball podcast with Jon Heyman and Cody Decker on Tuesday. "That's definitely our priority and has been for a while. I think we've had three very good consistent starting pitchers, who have for the most part been healthy. Stroman, Walker and Jake have all had little things here-and-there, but for the most part they've all been consistently good for us. Peterson had been pitching okay and then had an injury, but he'll be back at some point too."
The Mets' pitching depth has become razor thin after losing Jordan Yamamoto and Thomas Szapucki to injuries, and with Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard still on the IL. But Scott also gave credit to rookie Tylor Megill who has stepped up with a 2.63 ERA in his first five big-league starts.
"I do subscribe to that old adage that you can never have enough pitching," said Scott. "And I do think that has been the main reason that I've seen seasons fall apart."
"That said, we are open minded to not just starting pitching, but also bullpen arms, and position players. I will say on the position players, that I think we have some really good ones. Several of them have underperformed to their norms, so they need to step up and be better. And I think it's really good to see Michael Conforto have some really good games lately. But we will be opportunistic and look for several ways to upgrade the team."
With Mets closer Edwin Diaz, who has now blown three consecutive saves, struggling as of late, Scott was asked about Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel as a potential target.
"Craig's definitely having a great year, and obviously we have some history there in Boston, where he was great for us. But I think Edwin Diaz is a really good closer for us. I know he has struggled his last few outings, but I still believe in him. The stuff is still there, there has just been some execution issues. I'm still confident in him.....so I don't necessarily feel that it has to be a closer to add to our bullpen, we are just looking for good, quality arms that can help us in high-leverage (situations)."
"With pitching, I feel like it's always a seller's market, so they hold the prices pretty high. We'll see if those prices come down, or if they hold the bar really high and some of those guys don't even get moved. But I expect there to be movement and I also know a lot can change in these last days leading into the deadline."
The Mets have been linked to several starting pitchers including Twins pitcher Jose Berrios and Pirates left-hander Tyler Anderson. They have also reportedly shown interest in Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant.
And speaking of deGrom, Scott went on to go into detail about his ace pitcher's latest injury, as well.
"Jake (deGrom) has some mild tightness in his forearm," he said. "We are not too concerned long-term. 'When will he back?' I think pretty quickly, but it all depends on symptoms. He'll take a little time to rest it, the inflammation will go down and then he can start ramping it up. I don't expect it to be a long IL stint, but it's always hard to predict these things because it is all symptom-based."
Luckily, Scott and the Mets are not too concerned after receiving positive test results on their prized pitcher.
"There's nothing structurally concerning when you look at the MRI or anything like that. It's kind of similar to what he has had before, where there are mild strains and inflammation and stuff like that, and he has been able to return quickly."
As for the Mets injured shortstop Francisco Lindor, who went on the IL on Saturday with a Grade 2 strain of his right oblique, Scott provided an update there too.
"The oblique is going to be tricky, probably standard timelines on those are 4-6 weeks. He's already doing better at this point, than maybe some other guys we've had with these injuries. But there's a long road ahead, and I do think we have some other guys who are capable (of filling in)."
Scott mentioned Jonathan Villar, Luis Guillorme and Jose Peraza as three options that will allow the team to "piece together a short-term solution" for Lindor. However, that doesn't mean they wouldn't look into acquiring an external option, but Scott says they will probably explore someone who is versatile.
"Francisco is going to come back and be our shortstop, so that player would have to be able to play other positions, as well. And with J.D. Davis back, that kind of allows us to free up other guys to move around the diamond."
Scott and the Mets' front office have one main goal in mind as they approach the deadline, and that's to win.
"We just need to be smart about how we weight the short and long-term. I think that's the hardest thing about building a sustainable winner is to find that balance point. We are in a position to win our division and make a deep postseason run and we have to try to do that because that's what our whole goal is, that's why we do this. We don't get rings for having the best farm system, we are in this to win a championship."
That being said, while Scott and the Mets will look to upgrade the roster in order to propel the team into a deep postseason run, that doesn't mean they are going to do it at the cost of mortgaging away their future in the long-run.
"Anytime we are trying to make a move for the short-term, we have to look at how that effects us in the long-term."
"We've had a good season, but there is potential to play better," said Scott. "Guys have had down years on the offensive side. But given all the things that haven't gone right, I'm pleased we are in first-place still but we definitely need to play better going forward."
