3 NY Mets players whose lack of success could force a trade deadline upgrade

3) Frankie Montas should have the Mets looking at more than starting pitching depth

There are a couple of reasons why the Mets should consider adding a starting pitcher. None might stick out more than the presence of Frankie Montas as one of their main five. Injury concerns as well as the potential breakdown of Clay Holmes in his first year back as a starter are there. Looming larger is the lack of trust in Montas who, through 4 starts, has put together a sandwich where the meat in the middle has expired and the bread is the best part.

Terrific outings in his return and final start of the first half include a combined 10 innings, 10 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. It’s the middle that 10 runs in 9.2 innings with 4 home runs allowed that’ll have fans itching to see an upgrade.

The frustration continues to be how the team doesn’t even need to make a trade to provide insurance. They’ve denied Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat an opportunity to prove themselves in any capacity at the MLB level. Reaching into Double-A for Jonah Tong feels more far fetched if their hesitation to call up either pitcher in Triple-A continues.

Having a stricter six-man rotation can’t hurt and only becomes an issue for a month. Roster expansion in September would allow them room to hold the extra man. Montas isn’t about to lose his job or anything with the contract commitment. However, the Mets could certainly upgrade themselves with a better arm. There are too many other health concerns to ever believe he’s the best choice in a playoff start.