Mets Rumors: Front office has not closed the door on signing Jake Odorizzi

According to the latest New York Mets rumors courtesy of MLB reporter Jon Morosi, the Mets are still a potential landing spot for free-agent starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi should they not sign fellow free agent Trevor Bauer. While the Mets have made moves over recent weeks to bolster their starting pitching depth, this latest speculation shows that the front office is serious about acquiring one more Major League caliber starting pitcher prior to Spring Training.

Whether these Mets rumors come to fruition and the front office moves forward with either Trevor Bauer or Jake Odorizzi remains to be seen, but it’s a refreshing take that the organization is still exploring ways to upgrade the roster at this point in the offseason.

It’s widely speculated that it’s between both the Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the running for Bauer’s services, while Odorizzi seems to have a wider net cast in terms of suitors.

The latest Mets rumors suggest the organization is one of the many teams still in the running for free agent starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi.

In Morosi’s tweet, he also makes note that the Angels, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Giants, and Twins all have interest currently in signing Odorizzi. It’s also very important to note that Odorizzi is not likely to sign with an organization until Bauer reaches an agreement first, as the 30-year old right-hander is the next big chip in the starting pitching market.

Odorizzi didn’t have the best of luck in 2020 as he has battled a wide variety of injuries and his time on the Injured List had affected his performance on the mound, as he only pitched 13.2 innings this season. However, it’s important to remember that the All-Star right-hander has a career 3.92 ERA at the Major League level in 192 career starts and he has averaged 30 starts a season since 2014.

Odorizzi would be far from a consolation prize for any team that signs him, as he will be a prime bounce-back candidate in 2020 due to his proven track record in previous seasons. It also may benefit the Mets that Odorizzi has familiarity with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and he has credited him in the past with correcting a mechanical flaw that righted his career.

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There will be Mets rumors circulating around both free-agent starting pitchers for the foreseeable future until Bauer’s decision is made, which I would anticipate will be sooner rather than later due to camps opening up soon. Yet one thing is for certain from all of this latest guesswork, which is General Manager Zack Scott and Team President Sandy Alderson are in the hunt for one more starting rotation option before pitchers report to camp.