Mets: Which 2020 Reds pitcher makes the most sense in Flushing?

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Which Cincinnati Reds pitcher makes the most sense for the New York Mets to acquire? Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

Three members of the 2020 Cincinnati Reds rotation have been linked in one way or another to the New York Mets. Which starter makes the most sense?

The New York Mets need a pitcher. This was the case last offseason. It was the scenario during the season. Nothing has changed.

The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, have two quality starters on the roster they are reportedly shopping this winter. There’s also another guy in free agency available. He, like the other two, pitched for the Reds in 2020. Now a target of the Mets, maybe he is the solution.

I’ve teased enough. You already know their names. But which of these 2020 Reds pitchers makes the most sense in Flushing?

Trevor Bauer

Getting Trevor Bauer is pretty easy. All you have to do is throw a really big coin purse at him filled with cash and he’s a member of the Mets.

All it will take to snipe this former Reds pitcher is the right amount of money. The question for the Mets is whether or not they feel he is the right money for the job and if the price is fair enough.

As the offseason has progressed, it feels less likely that Bauer will end up pitching for this ball club. While we cannot rule him out just yet, there doesn’t seem to be much momentum toward the Mets adding him.

In Steve Cohen’s own words, they’re not out there to spend like drunken sailors. Paying Bauer the kind of money he’s looking for is like unloading a whole lot of pirate’s booty.

Still, Bauer makes a lot of sense for the Mets. They don’t have to give up anything other than cash to get him. He’d be a great number two behind Jacob deGrom. The only obstacle in the way is the desire from the front office. Do they feel the same way about Bauer that many fans did earlier on in the offseason?

Luis Castillo

It’s going to cost the Mets a lot to land Luis Castillo. Maybe the most unfortunately named pitcher the Mets could maybe get, he’s a younger guy just about to enter his prime.

Needless to say, Cincinnati is not going to hand Castillo over to any team without getting a whole lot back in return. He’ll pitch next season at age 28 with several years of control remaining. As a guy any team can afford financially, the difficulty comes when trying to put together the best package possible.

Castillo was 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA this past season. A year prior, in 32 starts, he was 15-8 with a 3.40 ERA.

With an average of 10 strikeouts per nine across his first 90 big league starts, we may have only gotten a glimpse at the beginning of what Castillo can do in the majors. If not for pitching on a bad team for the last few years, he would have certainly had a much better record—one that currently sits at 32-33.

We can only speculate as to how much the Mets would need to sell off in order to acquire this pitcher from the Reds. I’m guessing at least one of the team’s more notable prospects would have to travel to Cincinnati in order to push any deal through.

Castillo would be a great piece for the Mets to add because of how many years they can get out of him. However, he might not be the greatest fit due to the cost.

Steve Cohen has made it known that he intends to replenish the Mets farm system in some way. Likely, this comes by not subtracting much talent from it.

If we do see Castillo in a Mets uniform, I think it comes as a trade deadline deal. Right now, the team can go in too many other directions without burning up their future.

Sonny Gray

Is Sonny Gray afraid to pitch in New York? If his time with the New York Yankees is any indication, the Mets may want to stay away.

But let’s be reasonable. Just because Gray struggled in 2018 with the Yankees doesn’t mean he’d do the same with the Mets. He was an All-Star in 2019. In two years with the Reds, he’s 16-11 with a 3.07 ERA across 42 starts. Gray looks like the same pitcher he was during his time with the Oakland Athletics.

Another trade candidate, Gray is actually on a team-friendly contract given how he can perform. He’ll make $10.1 million in each of the next two years. In 2023, there’s a team option for $12 million. Hitting the escape button after two seasons is definitely intriguing if this ended up as one of those Mets trades we would like to forget.

Gray would cost something but not nearly as much as Castillo. He’s older, more expensive, and possibly looking at his best seasons in the rearview mirror.

Logically, he makes the most sense for the Mets. If not for a rough patch with the Yankees, I think a lot more people would agree.

There is something to be said about how a player performs in a certain city. Brighter lights. More scrutiny. A media that will critique you for putting on socks the wrong way. New York is tough.

As far as these three Reds pitchers go, Gray is the best fit. He won’t cost the Mets a lot in terms of payroll or in prospects. It’s that darn 2018 season which has scared many of us off from really wanting to see him come back to New York.

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Fortunately, the Mets can’t lose with any of these men. Each is an upgrade over what we saw in 2020. Chances are, none actually do end up in orange and blue for the 2021 season—at least not at the start of the year. Things could always change at the trade deadline when the time to make a big playoff push arrives.

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Three members of the 2020 Cincinnati Reds rotation have been linked in one way or another to the New York Mets. Which starter makes the most sense?

Trevor Bauer

Luis Castillo

Sonny Gray

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