5 Black Friday NY Mets free agent starting pitcher deals David Stearns can buy

The Mets can capatalize on these potential deals heading into December.

Jun 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Jun 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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3) Matthew Boyd

Matthew Boyd didn’t get off to a great start to the 2020s. Boyd only pitched 233 innings from 2020 through 2023, working to a poor 5.00 ERA, 4.58 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP. Although his 22.1% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate were roughly league average, he was prone to home runs with a 1.41 HR/9 rate. The veteran lefty then underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2023.

The Cleveland Guardians then decided to take a low-risk flier on Boyd, signing him to a Major League contract about a year after his Tommy John surgery. He only pitched 39.2 innings across eight starts, but it couldn’t have gone much better for the former Detroit Tigers stalwart. Boyd owned a 2.72 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP for the Guardians in the small sample size.

Boyd carried a healthy 27.7% strikeout rate, along with a 7.8% walk rate. Home runs, which have plagued him all his career, were not an issue while with Cleveland with an HR/9 of only 0.91. Boyd had both an above-average 87.6 MPH exit velocity, along with a quality 6.7% barrel rate. Boyd then dominated in the playoffs. He pitched 11.2 innings, allowing just a single earned run during the Postseason.

Boyd may not have pitched much in 2024, but he’s coming off one of the best stretches of games of his career. He unexpectedly mowed down batters during both the regular season and the Postseason. The Southpaw would be a good low-cost addition to the Mets, who are in need of rotation help.

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