5 free agent starting pitchers the Mets should stay far away from this offseason

The Mets and all their fans are clear that age matters in a starting pitcher

Scherzer and Verlander show that betting on high ceilings in older pitchers is a dangerous gamble. After the passage of both aces for the Mets team, the front office will be more careful when choosing relatively old pitchers to compete in New York City.

Hyun Jin Ryu must enter this group. Ryu has been a good pitcher in MLB throughout his ten years in the league, with an ERA around 3.25 and a winning percentage above .600.

Following his return in 2023, Ryu has been throwing good baseball, limiting contact from his opponents to a small sample of innings pitched. On the other hand, his delivery and command have been inconsistent causing an increase in his walks.

The real reason to rule out Ryu as a candidate for the Mets' rotation is not due to a performance issue. In fact, when healthy, Ryu has proven to be a pitcher with good command and command of the mound putting up consistently good numbers season after season.

However, Ryu would enter this free agency at 37 years old. A pitcher of that age, and with a history of injuries is not a necessary target for a team that, although it will remain competitive in 2024, has its sights on the future to achieve a championship roster.