3 big decisions for David Stearns to make when the season ends

3) Is Jose Quintana a part of next year’s NY Mets rotation?

The Jose Quintana decision will be a big hint as to what direction the team goes. Trading him away subtracts one of only two veterans we can put any faith in for next year. Quintana was named as the most likely Mets player to get traded this offseason. It’s understandable. If the team really is going to shop everyone not tied down after 2024, selling him while he has some value could be a part of Stearns’ plan.

Quintana seems to have a fair market value for his contract based on how he has done this year and what he accomplished before joining the Mets. Replacing him would be a somewhat lateral move yet not the absolute worst thing. If Stearns doesn’t see them getting much from him in 2024, the Mets should try to capitalize on the asset.

Fixing the bullpen is an obvious task for Stearns to address. It’s the rotation, however, where they need to begin. Pitchers like Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Jose Butto can fall in line to become possible relief options if the Mets are first able to add to the rotation. You can get lucky with a reliever. Rarely will you pull a starting pitcher off the scrap heap and they turn out to be R.A. Dickey or Rick Reed.

A fear with Quintana could be that he’s headed toward a Carlos Carrasco ending. Before 2022, Quintana was a struggling former top-of-the-rotation arm battling injuries and not playing all that well. The injury bug came back again this year. Selling him on a high and looking for an upgrade might not be the worst decision to make.