3 pitchers who can serve as upgrades to Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets just made three huge additions, signing Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar to bolster a lineup that finished 27th in runs per game last season and was a key reason why the Mets finished 77-85.

Those additions are great and signaled one very important thing. The Mets are going to spend, and they will spend a lot. They will probably re-sign Javy Baez or bring in a different infielder to shore up their depth there.

The next area the Mets should be looking to spend big is the rotation.

Noah Syndergaard is a guy pretty much everyone expected to take the Qualifying Offer and serve as the number two in the rotation behind Jacob deGrom this season.

Syndergaard ended up signing with the Angels for one-year $21 million dollars. This is a loss for the Mets as there isn't a pitcher available who will get a one-year deal with more upside than Syndergaard but is it really the end of the world?

Syndergaard is full of potential and I hope he reaches it in Anaheim. But how likely is it that he'd pitch like a $21 million-dollar pitcher? He's thrown two innings in two years. I would've liked it because it's a one-year deal and there's no risk on a one-year deal especially when the team will be over the luxury tax, but there're definitely better and safer options available. in free agency and via trade.

Max Scherzer

I know this is unrealistic. Scherzer was very clear at the trade deadline that he only wanted to go out west. However, I don't think it's impossible that his mind can be changed. After all, money talks. And the Mets have lots of it.

Max Scherzer is the perfect fit for this Mets rotation. This season he re-established himself as one of the games best after a shaky 2020 campaign. He went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA in 30 starts with the Nationals and Dodgers.

After being traded to Los Angeles, Scherzer went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts. As the season went on, when the stakes were higher, Scherzer was at his best.

He's most definitely a top five pitcher in the game currently and would be the baseball's best number two starter.

For a rotation that suffered through a lot of injuries this past season, including to Jacob deGrom, getting an iron man like Scherzer would be massive. He's made 30+ starts every season since 2009 except the shortened 2020 season and in 2019.

Scherzer has extensive playoff experience as well. He won a World Series championship with the Nationals in 2019, starting in Game 7, gutting out five innings after being injured before that start.

Scherzer was the Dodgers choice to pitch in the Wild Card Game this season and allowed just one run in the victory. Having a guy with so much postseason experience would be huge for a team that lacks much of it.

Replacing Syndergaard with a pitcher who's durable and better sure seems like the perfect place to start.

Sonny Gray

The Reds are expected to sell hard this offseason, and the Mets should be inquiring about three of their starters.

Luis Castillo is the guy I'd want them to get the most, but that's going to be very tough. Tyler Mahle is also a guy who is available, but is going to be harder to trade for. The guy I believe who makes the most sense is Sonny Gray.

Sonny Gray is a name that I'm sure people will not want the Mets to get. This is because of his tenure with the Yankees. He struggled in the Bronx and because of that, he's been labeled as someone who can't pitch in New York.

I don't believe that is the case at all. After being traded by the Yankees to the Reds, Gray cited his struggles due to the Yankees forcing him to throw a ton of sliders. Since getting to Cincinnati, Gray has relied on a cutter which has been a huge pitch for him.

This season was a down year for Gray as he battled through injuries and only made 26 starts. In those starts, Gray went 7-9 with a 4.19 ERA.

In 2019, the last full season before this one, Gray was an All-Star, going 11-8 with a 2.87 ERA. He finished 7th in the Cy Young voting and had a remarkable year in one of the best hitters parks in the game.

While pitching in a very hitter friendly park, Gray was able to keep the ball in the yard. He's allowed 0.9, 0.6, and 1.3 HR/9 respectively in his three seasons as a Red.

While keeping the ball in the ballpark, Gray has struck out over 10 batters per nine in each of his three seasons as a Red. His walks are an issue that needs to be addressed, but overall Gray has the makings of being an elite starter in this league. he's done it before, I see no reason why he can't do it again if he stays healthy.

Gray is a starter who has pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 4 career postseason starts, and has been a two-time all-star. Gray is set to make $10.2 million-dollars this season and has a $12 million-dollar team option for next season.

The 32 year old is likely to get traded while his value is still high and he has more than one year guaranteed on his deal. I believe the Mets should really inquire and see what they'd have to give up as the prices for free agent starters continue to rise.

If Noah Syndergaard is able to get $21 million-dollars after pitching two innings in two seasons, there's no question that Gray's contract is a steal.

His ceiling might not be as high, but his floor far surpasses Syndergaard's which is why I believe he'd be an upgrade as the best-case scenario for Syndergaard seems unlikely in his first season back from a major injury.