Mets Rumors: Not the best choice, Rick Porcello still makes sense

The latest New York Mets rumors report the team has an interest in 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello.

Just ahead of the Winter Meetings, New York Mets rumors are beginning to creep out and hit the public. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the latest Mets rumors link them to 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello.

Porcello has been a guy who makes sense for the Mets for quite some time. Now that Zack Wheeler is gone, it’s no shock to see him appear in any Mets rumors.

Porcello is a New Jersey native the team can sell to the fans as a bounce-back candidate. You can guarantee the team will mention his 2016 performance as much as possible while adding in his geographically close birthplace to New York. Thank goodness he didn’t play in the Little League World Series. Otherwise, he’d be Todd Frazier all over again.

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Last season was a rough one for Porcello and included a career-worst 5.52 ERA. At 149-118 with a 4.36 ERA, Porcello has had nothing short of an interesting career with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.

With a career ERA+ of 99, Porcello rates as just slightly below average pitcher. An average one would be at 100 and getting roughed up plenty in 2019 knocked him down below this margin.

What Mets fans should appreciate most about Porcello is his ability to take the baseball. Each year since 2009 has included 27-33 starts by the 30-year-old righty. Getting on the field has been a challenge for many Mets players over the last decade.

Offseason Mets rumors about the pitching staff have been relatively quiet thus far. In the starting rotation, we haven’t heard much interest in anyone. I think we’ve all accepted the team won’t be players for Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg. A rung or two down, players like Porcello are far more realistic and not so bad when we view things through clear lenses.

For one more interesting tidbit about Porcello, he first joined the Red Sox after the Tigers traded him to Boston for Yoenis Cespedes and two others. A deal with the Mets would connect the two again. This time, it would be as teammates.

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Unlike when Cespedes first came to the Mets, we shouldn’t expect the same game-changing abilities from Porcello. He’s looking to make good in 2020 after a poor performance in Beantown last year. With any luck, swapping time from the AL East to the NL East pays off.