New York Mets 'linked' to top free agent starter

The Mets remain interested in starting pitcher Ranger Suárez.

Aug 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

With starting pitching continuing to be an area of need for the New York Mets, they're reportedly still in the mix for one of the top remaining starters on the free agent market.

In a January 1 article for the New York Post, Jon Heyman reported that the Mets are a team "linked" to lefty starting pitcher Ranger Suárez. This report comes after top Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with the Houston Astros.

https://t.co/3P3E20sLwI MLB Insider: Most big stars remain on the free agent market. Here’s what we know about 6 of the biggest ones.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 1, 2026

Suárez is certainly a name the Mets are very familiar with, having spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies, however, have given no indication of whether they will bring back the lefty hurler or not. Considering how mightily New York's rotation struggled last year, it makes sense that they'd be intrigued with the possibility of adding Suárez.

Jun 29, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) reacts to his strikeout during a game against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

After beginning his major league career as a relief pitcher, Suárez quickly emerged as one of the top starters in all of baseball over the last several seasons. 2025 was another stellar year for the 30-year-old; in 26 starts, he posted a 12-8 record with a 3.20 ERA, 151 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.22 across 157.1 innings pitched. It was the second year in a row that Suárez recorded 10 wins or more in a regular season.

Read More: How Mets can pivot after losing Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes

It has been widely suspected since the offseason began that the Mets would be in search of starting pitching help. The lack of stability in the Amazins' rotation was one of the primary catalysts of their three-and-a-half-month downfall last year, which ended without postseason action.

Despite beginning the 2025 campaign with the best starting-pitching ERA in Major League Baseball, injuries to the rotation and starters struggling to go deep into games led to the Mets posting just a 4.03 ERA (18th in MLB).

While the Mets look to have an ace at the top of their rotation in Nolan McLean, the only other starters consist of Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Holmes proved to be a reliable starter last year after transitioning to that role for the very first time, but both Manaea and Senga are coming off injury-plagued seasons and struggled on the mound down the stretch.

As for Peterson, despite earning his first career All-Star selection after a tremendous first half last year, he seemingly hit a wall during the final month and a half of the season and failed to recapture his ace form. Top pitching prospects Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong could also be potential rotation options for New York, but it would not be a surprise if they begin this season in Triple-A for more development.

With the current pieces of the Mets' rotation not exactly reliable, adding a stellar arm in Ranger Suárez could provide much more stability heading into 2026. In eight seasons in the big leagues to this point, Suárez owns a 53-37 record with a 3.38 ERA, 705 strikeouts and a 1.27 WHIP in 762 innings of work.

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