5 NY Mets roster additions every fan should have on their holiday wish list

2) Go out and get your ace

The New York Mets, in their pursuit of a championship, should prioritize acquiring a top-tier starting pitcher this offseason. While long-term deals for aces like Corbin Burnes are tempting, a more strategic approach would involve targeting players with shorter-term contracts or trade acquisitions.

There are several ways to achieve ace-level production without the need to make a long-term financial commitment. Players like Jared Jones, Dylan Cease, Luis Castillo, Mitch Keller, and Sean Manaea offer compelling options.

These pitchers possess elite talent and are likely to be available on shorter-term deals or through trades. By acquiring one of these pitchers, the Mets can significantly bolster their rotation without committing to a long-term, high-dollar contract.

Acquiring a pitcher like Jared Jones via trade would require a significant prospect investment, but his long-term potential and affordable contract make it a worthwhile risk. Jones possesses elite stuff, including a 97th-percentile fastball and a swing-and-miss slider, suggesting he could develop into a frontline starter.

Alternatively, the Mets could pursue proven MLB pitchers like Cease and Castillo, each with their trade costs. Acquiring Cease, a rental player for 2025, would require a significant prospect investment. While Castillo offers two years of control, his trade cost is lower but his contractual value is substantially higher than Cease's.

This is the case of Mitch Keller, a pitcher with three additional years of control on an uprising contract but a relatively team-friendly contract. Keller is an underrated pitcher but his stuff continues to be higher than the league average.

While the Mets don't want to sacrifice prospects for these pitching profiles and are willing to hit free agency, signing a big name like Sean Manaea or going all-in with Nick Pivetta could add ace levels to the Mets' rotation due to their pitching lab and strategy used by Jeremy Hefner. Pivetta's newfound sweeper has transformed him into a formidable pitcher. This pitch generates a 35% whiff rate and yields a meager .189 expected batting average, making it a potent weapon in his arsenal.