1 not so obvious Mets free agent target who should be near the top of their wish list

Oakland Athletics v Texas Rangers
Oakland Athletics v Texas Rangers / Tim Heitman/GettyImages
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The New York Mets are going to need plenty of reinforcements this offseason when it comes to their starting rotation, following the departures of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the Trade Deadline. Going into next season you can only realistically pencil in both Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana into starting rotation spots next season.

With both of those pitchers the only locks heading into 2024, you can expect the Mets to be pretty active in the starting pitching market this winter. One name of interest that could make sense for the Mets that may not be on many people's current radar is Texas Rangers' left-hander Jordan Montgomery.

Montgomery could be an intriguing arm for the back end of the Mets rotation as he's scheduled to hit free agency for the first time this winter, and will only be 31 years old at the start of next season. Montgomery would provide another southpaw in the starting rotation and a consistent presence on the mound.

The Mets should explore adding left-hander Jordan Montgomery to their starting rotation plans in 2024

Montgomery has made at least 30 starts in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 and is on track to eclipse that mark again this season. The consistent amount of starts also goes hand in hand with his effectiveness as he held a 3.48 ERA in 2021, 3.69 ERA in 2022, and currently boasts a 3.62 ERA combined between both the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers this season.

I can see the Mets front office being more interested in starting pitchers of Montgomery's caliber this winter instead of going the bolder route they did in previous offseasons with both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. The Mets are in desperate need of consistent as well as healthy pitchers they can rely on to take the mound every fifth day, and Jordan Montgomery can provide that.

It also plays in the Mets' favor that he has previous experience pitching in the New York market with his stint with the New York Yankees from 2017-2021. I believe Jordan Montgomery could give the Mets rotation a boost this winter and won't come as expensive as some of the other higher-end options on the market.

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