Mets Million-Dollar Question: Is Trevor Bauer or J.T. Realmuto the bigger priority?

2) The case for Trevor Bauer

The biggest weakness that plagued the Mets during the abbreviated 2020 season was their starting pitching. Between losing Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman for the season, and the ineffectiveness of Michael Wacha as well as Rick Porcello the starting rotation was for the most part in shambles. Luckily the Mets still have the best pitcher in baseball in Jacob deGrom as well as promising rookie David Peterson to build from this offseason.

With three potential open rotation spots available, considering there is no firm timeline when Noah Syndergaard may be ready to pitch in games again, the Mets are going to need a solid number, two starting pitcher, to follow deGrom next season. Insert Trevor Bauer.

The right-handed pitcher had a Cy Young caliber season in 2020 and is going to be looking for a contract that most likely makes him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball in annual average value. The Mets will have the money to make that possibility a reality and it would instantly give the Mets the best one-two punch in baseball with the acquisition of Bauer.

Bauer seems to be entering his prime after finding his niche in 2020 with the Cinncinatti Reds and pitching to a 1.73 ERA in 11 starts, as well as whiffing 100 batters in 73 innings pitched. The Mets former General Manager and new president, Sandy Alderson, loved building his previous Mets teams on dominant starting pitching which makes this move make more logistical sense this offseason than signing Realmuto.

The Mets already possess a high octane offense as they were at the top of the league’s leaderboards in offensive statistics in 2020, and by adding the 29-year old Bauer to the rotation in 2021 it would give the Mets two aces at the top of their starting rotation to complement their league-leading offense which was something they sorely missed having this past season.