How the Mets can score an 'A' at the MLB Winter Meetings without signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The MLB Winter Meetings are underway with teams like the New York Mets hoping to make some big moves this offseason after a disappointing 2022 season. While the Mets did get some much-needed help with their pitching by signing starter Luis Severino on a one-year deal and adding a solid utility bat, Joey Wendle for a one-year deal as well, the Mets still have a lot more work to do if they wish to compete against their NL East rival, especially the Atlanta Braves.

Without question, the top prizes during these Winter Meetings will be a couple of Japanese superstars with Shohei Ohtani a free agent for the first time in his career after spending seven seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and another potential Japanese star pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto who the Mets reportedly have their radar on. Ohtani may be a hard get for the Mets with many teams having their eyes set on him. But Yamamoto is certainly someone the Mets could desperately need in their pitching rotation. If Yamamoto does indeed fall somewhere else this offseason, the Mets can still have a successful 2023 Winter Meetings.

1. The Mets sign Jordan Montgomery or a pitcher on his level

Even though Yamamoto is the best starting pitcher out there, the Mets still have some more options to work with this Winter Meetings, especially at the starting pitching position. Starting pitching by far is one of the Mets biggest needs and if they want to add someone to their rotation with Kodai Senga, Severino and Tylor Megill. Lefty Jordan Montgomery is a good fit.

Montgomery has been very good over the last couple of seasons when he pitched for the New York Yankees, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. And 2023, was a great season for the lefty in particular and was one of the main reasons why the Rangers were able to win their first World Series in team history. During the 2023 season, Montgomery went 6-9 with the Cardinals with a 3.42 ERA in 21 games pitched and when he was traded to the Rangers in late July, he was even pitching to an ERA of 2.79 with a 4-2 record in 11 games pitched.

Montgomery is a realistic option for the Mets as a starting pitcher if they can't land Yamamoto. He's proven over the last few seasons that he can be a reliable starting pitcher and should be someone anyway that the Mets should try to sign if they want to improve their starting pitching which was ranked 19th overall in the MLB.