Interest in Luis Severino suggests the Mets are willing to take a risk in the rotation

As far as New York Mets rumors go, seeing their interest in free agent Luis Severino isn't the most exciting. His inability to stay healthy in recent seasons added with how bad he was in 2023 makes him a risky addition. So why are the Mets rumored to have such an interest?

If nothing else, this suggests the Mets will indeed look to fill their rotation with at least one wild card pitcher. This won't be like last winter when they signed a reigning Cy Young winner, a veteran coming off his best season in years, and a top international free agent who ended up in the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year race.

Instead, these latest Mets rumors linking them to Severino point toward at least one of the starting five spots belonging to a pitcher whose fate is as likely as the flip of a coin.

The Mets already seem like they're approaching this offseason differently

If not Severino, the Mets could look to buy a different pitcher coming off of a bad year or even an injury. In fact, with the number of starting pitching depth options they already have, it's practically a guarantee.

There are no sure things with athletes. Can Lucas Giolito find himself again as a member of the Mets? Could Frankie Montas get healthy and return to the way he was during his days with the Oakland Athletics? If James Paxton could just stay healthy he could be a pretty good number four starter or so.

Severino checks off the sometimes overemphasized “can handle New York” box. He’s familiar with the city, the media, and the heat from the spotlight of playing a professional sport here. Aside from this, where is the interest coming from?

MLB Trade Rumors actually has Severino scratching through their list of top 50 free agents this offseason at number 48. The Mets weren’t predicted to sign him, but he’s also one of those available players who could end up anywhere. The contract they projected for him was a one-year deal worth $14 million. This is a completely reasonable expectation. On the Mets, they see if they can win with him in 2024. Severino becomes a midseason trade chip on the Mets or any other team he may end up with if they fail to contend.

The Mets aren’t shopping exclusively off the top shelf. Severino paired with two far better starting pitchers is probably what the Mets have planned. A final question the Mets would need to ask themselves is whether or not Severino is the wild card addition they want to make when there are others out there, too.