Projected NY Mets starting rotation by ex-player is underwhelming yet maybe too realistic

Last week former New York Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa projected a faulty Opening Day lineup for the team. This week, he moves to the rotation where he might be far more accurate but in the worst way possible.

After the signing of Frankie Montas, the Mets now have three rotation spots filled. Montas, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson line up to fill out the staff. Who gets the other two vacancies? Figueroa projects the Mets sign Sean Manaea or Max Fried then have Tylor Megill in as the fifth starter.

Tylor Megill as the fifth starter on Opening Day feels like a step backward for the Mets

This isn’t the dream rotation many of us had planned for the Mets. In an offseason full of some fascinating starters to go along with some trade candidates to bolster the starting staff, to come away with these five in the rotation would feel underwhelming. And yet after the Montas move which paid him $17 million and a lack of significant Mets rumors bled out by agents to suggest they are in the mix for remaining top-of-the-line pitching additions, it feels like a reasonable assumption for the team to land Manaea or Fried and temporarily fill in a spot with Megill.

The Mets did tender a contract to Paul Blackburn which makes him a candidate to eventually replace Megill. The big problem here is the Mets have a habit of losing a pitcher in the preseason to an injury. Last year it was Senga. A year prior, Jose Quintana and then Justin Verlander right before the season began. A spring training injury to an essential part of the rotation plan always seems imminent. Where do the Mets turn if Megill is already lined up to be their number five starter? Furthermore, what do they temporarily do when a sixth starter is needed?

Concerns over who’d get spot starts are minimal in comparison to other roster questions for this ball club. Ask Jose Butto to go as long as he can or cross your fingers one of the younger pitchers will be ready.

Figueroa’s projected starting rotation does allow for room to see someone such as Brandon Sproat quickly arrive to the majors. Megill’s remaining minor league options make him a good swingman to move up and down from the majors to minors as needed based on the health of others and his own abilities. He did show some promise late in the season last year.

The rotation would feel like a downgrade from what the Mets had last year. Montas is a wild card. Regression from Peterson, to some extent, feels likely. How healthy can Senga remain? Has Manaea really become ace material?

Fortunately, this is only one guess as to what the rotation will look like. I tend to believe the Mets will make some sort of out-of-the-blue addition to surpass Megill on the depth chart. Look for the Mets to find someone’s Adrian Houser, hopefully with better results.