3 offseason NY Mets rumors we should be glad didn't come true

2) Mike Soroka

Clay Holmes wasn't the only pitcher who excelled as a reliever in 2024; the Mets were looking into Mike Soroka as a starting pitcher. They were also looking into former division rival ace Mike Soroka. After going to the All-Star game in his 2019 rookie campaign with the Atlanta Braves and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting, Soroka's next handful of years would be plagued by constant injuries.

It wouldn't be until last season, after getting dealt to the Chicago White Sox, that Soroka had a healthy stretch of games since his rookie year. But after nine starts in which he had a 6.39 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, allowed ten home runs in 43.2 innings, and struck out just 24 with the same number of free passes, the Sox moved Soroka to their bullpen.

But Soroka would end the year on a fairly high note, working to a 2.75 ERA and FIP, with a 1.22 WHIP in 36 innings as a reliever. He only allowed three home runs, resulting in a 0.75 HR/9 with an 85.3 MPH exit velocity. He also struck out 39% of opponents. While his numbers out of the pen were better, they were far from perfect. He still handed out a walk to 13% of opponents, and a sub-par 9.7% barrel rate, and missed just over two months from July 14th through September 21st.

But another division rival in the Washington Nationals opted to pick Soroka up on a one-year contract worth $9 million. So far, it's looked like a bad decision for the Nats. Soroka has only started four games with 19.2 IP. While Soroka has struck out a third of opponents with a 5.9% walk rate, he's also allowed 13 earned runs and four home runs. Soroka arguably wouldn't even be the Mets' 6th best option to start games right now if they needed it.