Mets: Five big free agents Steve Cohen should consider buying next winter

Robbie Ray

Maybe the least attractive name on this list, Robbie Ray is still an attractive pitcher we could see the Mets look to add into their rotation for the 2020 season. I debated replacing him on this list with Marcus Stroman because a big year out of the Stro Show would definitely make him a top free agent we’d like to see Cohen re-add to the future plans.

Let’s examine Ray instead and see why he’d fit in with the rest of the boys in Queens.

After 2020, the Mets will potentially lose Stroman to free agency which then opens up one spot. Rick Porcello is also signed to only a one year deal as is swingman Michael Wacha. This gives New York two rotation needs to fill. With one possibly going to prospect David Peterson, the other needs to belong to a veteran with upside.

Ray has had some ups and downs in his short career. He reached his peak in 2017 when he was a 15-game winner and All-Star for the Arizona Diamondbacks. That year, Ray had a 2.89 ERA while leading the league with 12.1 strikeouts per nine.

Injuries have been a problem for Ray at times in his career. He made only 28 starts in his All-Star 2017 season and 24 in 2018. He did manage to make 33 in 2019, but it also came with a 4.34 ERA.

The sweetest thing about Ray is he can strike out a ton of batters. As someone who will reach free agency ahead of his age 29 season, we can expect someone to pay a high sum for his services going forward. A lot of this is predicated on how well he does in 2020. If all goes well, the Mets may need to give him a contract similar to what his former Diamondbacks teammate Patrick Corbin got from the Washington Nationals.

Preferably, I would like to see the Mets pay any big dollars they are willing to spend on a major bat.