Mets: Three one-year contracts the Mets should explore this offseason

Whether looking to rebound from a bad year or injury, these three could end up with a one-year contract with the New York Mets.

As the New York Mets, led by their new owner Steve Cohen, prepare for one of the most important offseasons in recent memory, fans are eager to see what free agents will be getting big contracts to play in Flushing next season. And while the team is all but certain to dish out at least one big contract, there’s value that can be added to the roster through the avenue of one-year deals.

There’s no such thing as a bad one year deal, no matter how much Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello tried to convince you. In fact, considering how teams are looking to save money this offseason, we might see a massive influx in one-year deals this winter.

There’s also no doubt that the starting rotation will be an area of focus for Cohen and the front office as they look to build a rotation that consists of more than just Jacob deGrom. As they look to fill holes in their rotation, here are three pitchers that the Mets should consider signing to one-year deals to compete in 2021.

Corey Kluber

The pitcher with the highest potential return on the market is Corey Kluber. It certainly doesn’t bode well that Kluber has pitched 36.2 innings over the last two seasons combined, but before the injuries, Kluber was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

Kluber suffered a broken arm after being hit by a line drive in 2019 and was limited to seven starts while compiling a 5.07 ERA. During a rehab start in the minor leagues, Kluber was taken out due to a strained left oblique, ultimately ending his 2019 season. Last season, in his first year with Texas, Kluber faced three batters and then was lost for the season after tearing his right shoulder.

Obviously, injuries, especially a torn muscle in his throwing shoulder, are not good signs for a pitcher who is entering into his late 30s. However, before his injuries, Kluber was as durable as they come; in the five previous seasons, he had eclipsed 200 innings pitched every season.

When healthy, there’s no doubt about what Kluber can do on the mound. From 2014-2018, he never struck out less than 222 batters. With five pitches in his arsenal, Kluber’s swing-and-miss stuff is something that the Mets would welcome in a heartbeat. With a career K% of 27 percent and extended time to recover, it’s not hard to imagine that a bounceback year would be possible.

Up until the injuries in 2019, Kluber had been a workhorse, racking up 200 innings pitched in each of the previous five seasons. The question obviously becomes how many innings do the Mets think they could get out of him coming off a torn shoulder, but if Kluber could stay healthy, a deal for 2021 could return huge dividends.

Mike Minor

Once a trade deadline possibility for the Mets, Mike Minor presents himself as a viable option in free agency to plug a hole in the rotation.

After three seasons of 25 or more starts with the Braves, he missed two whole seasons with left shoulder issues. However, his return in 2017 was stellar as he posted a 2.55 ERA with the Royals over 77 innings pitched as a reliever. It’s also important to note that after coming back from a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for two years, Minor made 28 and 32 starts, respectively, in 2018 & 2019.

Outside of the health issues in those two seasons, it’s been quite the seesaw for Minor’s ERA year-to-year. Take a look at his ERA each season since 2013:

‘13 – 3.21

‘14 – 4.77

‘17 – 2.55

‘18 – 4.18

‘19 – 3.59

‘20 – 5.56

If the trend continues for Minor, the Mets could be getting him on a good year, though that alone wouldn’t be a justifiable reason to sign him.

Instead, it would be important to note that outside of 2020, Minor was good for a minimum of 2.2 WAR over his previous three seasons, with his WAR being 4.1 in 2019. While Minor doesn’t elude bats at the rate of Kluber or Ray, he is effective in keeping runners off base. For his career, Minor has posted a WHIP of 1.22.

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At 32, Minor could be looking to secure a multiple-year deal, but given the market and a down year in 2020, the Mets could try to capitalize on the limited buyers on the market and lure Minor into a one year contract as they try to repair their rotation.