Ranking 4 candidates to replace Adrian Houser in the rotation if his struggles continue

3) The Last Chance Candidate: David Peterson

David Peterson’s rehab has begun. The lefty who feels to be “on” one year and “off” the next will soon embark on a very important season for his future in New York. Peterson has one minor league option remaining and it’s very likely to get used even before he officially comes off the IL. In fact, a big reason why he falls to number three on this list is because it makes a lot of sense for the Mets to build him back up slowly and allow him a couple of starts in the minors before throwing him to the wolves.

If you’re a fan who feels “kind of done” with Peterson, no one will blame you. His start at the beginning of 2023 helped put the Mets in an early hole they couldn’t climb out of. The overall totals were still bad even with a solid second-half.

In parts of four big league seasons, Peterson is now 18-21 with a 4.51 ERA. The 90 ERA+ suggests he has been a below average pitcher. Even in 2022 when he was used effectively as a spot starter and reliever, Peterson had difficulty throwing strikes at times. His “on” or “off” was present while he battled against Trevor Williams for those coveted extra starts the Mets had available.

There is very little chance Peterson will be on the Mets roster after 2024 because they’d no longer be able to bounce him back and forth between the minor leagues. He’ll be useful this season. If Houser gets bumped off sooner than later, it would make much more sense to turn to this other southpaw.