3 best free agent pitchers not named Shohei Ohtani the Mets should target next winter

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Shohei Ohtani is going to be the target for the New York Mets next winter. The two-way star can fill a rotation spot and become the DH. He fills two possible needs for them.

The Mets are actually in pretty good shape next year as far as major free agents go. Max Scherzer does have an opt out and Carlos Carrasco is in the final year of his deal. Bringing in Ohtani could mean the team decides to go with a six-man rotation as the Los Angeles Angels have done regularly with this unique athlete who was more familiar with this style from his days in Japan.

Ohtani isn’t the only big free agent the Mets should have on their minds. Next winter’s class of free agents offers them some other choices. How would any of these three look in a Mets uniform?

1) NY Mets free agent target for next winter: Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish might actually fit in perfectly with the Mets. Whether they add Ohtani or not (they should), there is space for an excellent arm like Darvish in the rotation. If things get too crowded, what’s to stop them from trading someone like Jose Quintana?

Darvish will turn 37 late in the 2023 season, making him a candidate for a contract similar yet not as pricey as Scherzer and Justin Verlander. He hasn’t been nearly as good as either of them. However, his dazzling 2022 numbers could be a sign that Darvish will age well as he nears 40.

A rotation of Darvish, Ohtani, and Kodai Senga is obviously an international sensation with all three coming from Japan. How realistic could it be for the Mets to land both Ohtani and Darvish in the offseason? It would probably mean Scherzer has opted out and isn’t coming back.

Darvish is more of a fallback plan in case the team isn’t able to secure Ohtani. So is this other starting pitcher the Mets can steal from a rival.

2) NY Mets free agent target next winter: Aaron Nola

Knowing exactly what Aaron Nola will offer the Philadelphia Phillies this year is a superpower. He’s up, he’s down, and then there are those years where he is somewhere in between. Nola is a bulldog, innings eater who doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

Nola’s free agent case will be vastly different from Darvish. He’ll turn 30 in June, setting up for one of the largest contracts of any free agent pitcher next winter. We already know the headlines now. Nola will be looking for a seventh year while teams like the Mets or Phillies want to stop at five, maybe six.

Stealing Nola from Philadelphia would be a big win for the Mets and a victory for their long-term outlook on the mound. There shouldn’t be too much concern about him deflating. Although there have been years where he isn’t in the Cy Young conversation, Nola has been productive and healthy in his career. From 2018-2022, he has made 32+ starts with only the 2020 season and his 12 starts falling short. A dozen starts for a pitcher that year lines up perfectly with the 60 games played.

Steve Cohen’s Mets have yet to steal any players away from their division rivals. If Philly lets him go, Nola is someone to consider on a longer deal. We can’t have the Mets signing aging aces to short-term deals forever.

3) NY Mets free agent target next winter: Julio Urias

Not too many pitchers have been as good as Julio Urias over the last two seasons. The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty led the league with 20 wins in 2021 and followed it up with a 2.16 ERA to lead the league in 2022. Although he hasn’t shown the ability to reach 200 innings in a season, there is one very important statistic to keep in mind for him. It’s on his birth certificate.

Urias will reach free agency at age 27, barring some kind of a deal from the Dodgers first. It’s a dream age to sign any free agent star. The best Urias has to offer has yet to come. There is little doubt this once wild young starter has figured things out on the mound. If Steve Cohen’s Mets want to go long-term with an arm, Urias is the one who will be asking for it.

Urias might be one of the sneakiest yet best free agents next offseason. It took him a while to establish himself. He’ll hit the market in a competitive offseason with Ohtani leading the way plus third basemen such as Rafael Devers and Manny Machado available.

Ohtani should be the priority for the Mets next offseason. However, signing two of these pitchers might be the next best thing.

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