Mets called 'perfect fit' for NL ace in free agency by insider

The New York Mets make too much sense for this elite NL starting pitcher in free agency.

Mar 26, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; The New York Mets logo stands in center field before the game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

One would imagine that the New York Mets' front office is kicking itself right now that they weren't more aggressive in adding starting pitching at this year's trade deadline.

It will probably ultimately be for the best that the team didn't part ways with Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, or Brandon Sproat to acquire such an arm, as all of these players are now with New York's big league team and seem poised for successful futures. Yet, the front office probably could have parted ways with other top prospects to secure a top-of-the-rotation starter.

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Their inability to do so is especially glaring right now, given that the rotation's run of mediocrity is a large part of why the Mets have lost eight straight games and are now on the outside looking in of the NL Wild Card race.

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

While it's too late for David Stearns and the rest of the Mets' brass to improve this season's rotation, they'll have plenty of time and opportunities to address this aspect of the roster this upcoming offseason, whether that be via trade or through free agency.

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USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale already has one impending free agent in mind for New York, which he conveyed in a September 14 article.

"Considering the Mets’ rotation mess in which they’ve had to rely on three rookies who just got called up, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, a New Jersey native, could be the perfect fit for their needs as a free agent," Nightengale wrote.

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— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 14, 2025

Gallen is a fascinating potential fit for the Mets. While he entered the 2025 season expecting another stellar year that would end with him earning a lot of money on the free agency market, Gallen has struggled this season, posting an 11-14 record with a 4.84 ERA in 30 starts for Arizona.

However, Gallen was fantastic in August, yielding a 2.57 ERA over 35 innings. There's no denying that he's an elite talent, and many around the league seem to think he just needs a change of scenery to get back to the elite pitcher he has been for essentially his whole MLB career.

Zac Gallen’s August, with a 2.57 ERA over 35 innings and 28 strikeouts, was his best monthly ERA since April 2023, when he posted a 1.09. Since then, he’s added six more shutout innings.

An incredible turnaround in a career-worst year.@sportscronkite pic.twitter.com/R82pZBg4Qg

— George Lund (@GLundMedia) September 8, 2025

Spotrac is projecting that Gallen will receive a three-year, $52 million contract in free agency this offseason. That seems like a fair price for New York to potentially pay, given that Gallen is one of baseball's best pitchers when he's at his best.

Adding him to a rotation that includes McLean, Sproat, and Tong will make the Mets' staff much more formidable in 2026.