NY Mets predicted to add 2 frontline starters, here’s how they’ll do it

For a team that spent last October watching someone else’s champagne spray, the New York Mets have a little pride to reclaim. The payroll was historic, the results were humbling, and the silence that followed said plenty. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightingale, that could soon change, with the Mets predicted to come away with two frontline starters. After last year’s stumble, few predictions feel more believable — or more necessary.

That optimism, however, is not universal. The Athletic’s Will Sammon reported that league sources expect the Mets to add only one starter unless a current pitcher is traded—potentially Kodai Senga, who has drawn interest. Senga is valuable for the same reasons others want him, so the Mets are better off keeping him. This means they can still pursue multiple starters without losing Senga.

For the Mets, one ace will cost money, the other, prospects

The first name that fits this Mets makeover is Framber Valdez. Over his last four seasons in Houston, he’s been the picture of dependability — 31 starts in three of those years, a sub-3.00 ERA in two, and a knack for making lineups look a little smaller by the seventh inning. He doesn’t live off swing-and-miss rates or wild velocity charts, yet he’s topped 160 strikeouts four straight seasons. Valdez is proof that command and consistency still win games. With an expected $200 million tag, only a few teams can keep up if the Mets decide he’s their prize.

Then comes the trade piece: Freddy Peralta, the kind of arm that makes rotations complete. He’s entering the final year of his $8 million deal with Milwaukee, and if the Brewers are open for business, David Stearns knows exactly which number to dial. Peralta’s résumé checks every box — at least 27 starts in four of the last five seasons, 200-plus strikeouts three straight years, and a crisp 2.70 ERA this past season. He’s efficient, aggressive, and carries the type of edge that fits perfectly in Queens.

With smarter roster use, the Mets can add two frontline starters with ease

If Valdez and Peralta join the clubhouse, the Mets rotation improves significantly—and they can achieve this without trading Senga or other key players. With Peralta, Valdez, Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes, the team’s depth shows. Shifting David Peterson to the bullpen creates room and also strengthens the pitching staff.

Outside of a yearlong stretch of strong starts overlapping 2024 and 2025, Peterson has struggled to find consistency as a starter. But his knack for forcing grounders — ranking among the top four percent in MLB — gives him real value in relief. With A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley already back, Peterson gives the Mets another lefty arm out of the pen.

If they can bring back Edwin Díaz and add Tyler Rogers, this bullpen starts to look intentional. Defined roles, matchup flexibility, and actual depth — the kind of traits winning teams are built on.

Nightingale might’ve predicted it first, but it still holds up under Sammon’s microscope. The Mets don’t need to move a starter to build a frontline rotation. They just need to use their depth correctly; something this front office finally seems ready to do. Sometimes, the best addition is refusing to subtract.