Who replaces Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker if one is not ready for Opening Day?

David Peterson is the second-best option to start for the Mets

David Peterson was the 2020 version of Megill. A member of the rotation for a good portion of the 2021 season, an injury knocked him out for the rest of the season. Only because he’ll need to prove his own health does it not make much sense for the Mets to turn to him first in their time of need.

Now 116.1 innings into his big league career, Peterson is 8-8 with a 4.64 ERA. It’s tough to judge what he can be. The 3.44 ERA is more than two runs lower than the 5.54 he has last year. So which is it? Are you a viable big league starter or someone who gets games only out of need?

Peterson may have a tough time getting chances to prove himself all over again. Already bumped from the expected starting five, he has Megill to compete with. It’s not something entirely new for him nor is the position he’s in right now. Like many rookies, he first made the Mets roster in 2020 because the team was short on arms due to an injury then opt-out from Marcus Stroman.

All things equal, I think both management and fans would prefer to see Megill get the nod over Peterson. That’s not to say things could change quickly based on performance. They’re close to equal.

With the possibility of the Mets needing to replace two starters immediately, perhaps there's no competition for the Opening Day roster. And how they perform at the big league level during any period of time could shift how the front office feels when the need arises again.