Last year’s NY Mets might’ve already hinted at their overcrowded rotation plan

The New York Mets roster currently has six starting pitchers. Freddy Peralta pushed the starting five to six. No subtraction has taken place with a few possibilities remaining for the Mets.

They can 1) still trade an arm 2) go with a six-man rotation or 3) roll with what last year’s plan appeared to be.

Planning for the worst has been a constant modus operandi of David Stearns. He hasn’t always done it well, but it has been a running theme. Last year, the Mets loaded up on starting pitchers. They re-signed Sean Manaea, made a bold signing of Clay Holmes, brought in Frankie Montas, sprinkled in Griffin Canning, and tendered a contract to Paul Blackburn. Those four joined Kodai Senga and David Peterson in an overcrowded pitcher’s room. This didn’t even account for Tylor Megill who ended up on the Opening Day roster. Manaea, Montas, and Blackburn all began the year on the IL. From experience, the Mets probably expect someone to be unavailable to begin the year.

The Mets might not trade away a starting pitcher after all

Guessing who’ll get hurt is a fool’s errand because of how random many injuries are. Senga and Peterson have had their run-ins with injuries. Holmes, coming off a year as a starter, has that worry in the back of our heads.

Last year’s rotation depth was different from this season. Megill was optional. Blackburn was someone the Mets could have shoved into the bullpen. Although this would have still left them six-deep, there were ways to manage it. At worst, they would have had Blackburn and another starter who didn’t perform well in the spring join the relief corps until the inevitable injury bug bit.

This year’s Mets roster has Peralta, Senga, Peterson, Manaea, Holmes, and Nolan McLean to begin the year. They’re one injury away from “solving a problem.” Two injuries and we’ll probably see Tobias Myers bumped up.

Getting through the full season won’t be too problematic if Jonah Tong shows further growth. They have an abundance of fringe-MLB players who can start a game. The difficult part is getting through the early part of the year which is solved by overstocking arms from the start.

What’s more, who’s to say there won’t be more opportunities closer to Opening Day? Someone is going to blow out their arm and need Tommy John surgery on someone else’s roster. That’s when the Mets can strike a deal as long as they’re fully healthy.

Outside of a trade possibility, stashing an arm in the bullpen isn’t out of the question either. They finished the year with Holmes and Manaea making a handful of relief appearances. The word “piggybacking” came back in style, if it ever was, thanks to the Mets’ desperation.