3 replacements for Max Scherzer in free agency to already start dreaming about
![Max Scherzer has pitched his last game for the Mets](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2929,h_1647,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/3/01h6jjsmcgnwkvznk0zd.jpg)
If it wasn't already clear when David Robertson was sent to the Miami Marlins for two young prospects, it certainly is now. The New York Mets are sellers at the trade deadline.
In the midst of a season that has drastically fallen short of expectations, the Mets dealt Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers on Saturday night for Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Braves superstar and constant Mets tormentor Ronald Acuna, Jr. With the move, the Mets made a clear statement that they are punting on the Wild Card race and looking toward the future, and this could be just the beginning of the sell-off.
Though Acuna is an exciting prospect, what concerns me today is who will fill Scherzer's spot in the rotation in 2024. Kodai Senga has been the only consistently reliable starter that the Mets have under contract next year, and the upcoming free agent class is not incredibly deep.
Justin Verlander hasn't been bad, but he also hasn't been as good as the Mets expected him to be when they signed him this offseason. Then again, with Scherzer gone after waiving his no-trade clause, it's increasingly likely that Verlander follows suit and finds himself pitching elsewhere within the next week.
What does that leave for 2024? Not a whole lot, if we're being honest. Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill have all had rough seasons. Jose Quintana only recently made his Mets debut. In all likelihood, next season's rotation will look much different, and for Mets fans' sake, we better hope so. Here are three of the top potential targets.
1) NY Mets replacement for Max Scherzer in free agency: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
After finding great success in signing Kodai Senga, the Mets could again look to Japan to make a free agent splash. Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the most exciting prospects to ever come out of Japan, and the Mets might be the early favorite to procure his services.
Yamamoto has been the Nippon Professional Baseball league's best pitcher, and at only 24 years old, his best years are ahead of him. He's nearly six years younger than Senga, and has been graded even more highly by scouts.
Yamamoto has a plus fastball, a plus curveball, and a wipeout splitter that would be really fun to see next to Senga's ghost fork, while also boasting an elite walk rate. Speaking of Senga, his presence and development could give the Mets an advantage in signing Yamamoto.
Mets general manager Billy Eppler has perhaps the most experience in the majors in signing Japanese stars, having already signed Senga, and Shohei Ohtani during his time with the Angels. Eppler also reportedly took a scouting trip to Japan earlier this year to see Yamamoto in person.
Yamamoto could establish the Mets as the go-to destination for Japanese players going forward, while also representing a change in organizational philosophy. Committing a large contract to a younger player that is still improving would be a welcome change after the underwhelming and overpriced signings of Scherzer and Verlander, two once-great pitchers who are on the back end of their careers.
2) NY Mets replacement for Max Scherzer in free agency: Julio Urias
Another young, outstanding pitcher that could be available this offseason is Julio Urias. The 26-year-old hasn't gotten the headlines of some of his peers, but he's been without a doubt one of the best pitchers in baseball the last few years, often saving his best work for the high pressure games of the second half and playoffs.
It's hard to imagine an organization as financially healthy and committed to winning as the Los Angeles Dodgers letting a homegrown talent as special as Urias go, but there seem to have been no meaningful extension talks as of yet.
Urias is pitching this year under a one-year, $14.25 million contract, and he will undoubtedly get a long-term deal at a much higher AAV this offseason. Steve Cohen has proven that money is no object, which will make the Mets one of the few teams that can afford the hefty price tag Urias will command.
The Mets got some firsthand experience in what Urias can do, as he shut them down for just one hit in six innings two weeks ago in Citi Field. That outing was one of the few good ones Urias has had in recent starts though, as his ERA and WHIP are both higher than they've been since his first two years in the big leagues.
Urias' walk rate and strikeout rate are nearly identical to last season's numbers, a season in which he finished in third place in the NL Cy Young race. His hard hit % is up slightly, and he is giving up 50% more homers per nine. The Mets will have to determine what's real when deciding if Urias is worth the big money his career stats and age dictate he should be.
3) NY Mets replacement for Max Scherzer in free agency: Blake Snell
Blake Snell had an underwhelming beginning to the season, but since late May, he's been the best pitcher in baseball. He's given up a total of six earned runs in his last 12 starts, and only once during that streak has he given up more than one.
Despite Snell's best efforts, the Padres are in a similar position to the Mets, and they could also be sellers before the deadline. This could give Snell a look at a new possible landing spot with a contender, and it's possible he signs an extension. If not, though, he should be one of the Mets' top priorities.
Snell has big game experience, and many fans will remember his gem in the 2020 World Series that could have forced a Game 7, if not for Rays manager Kevin Cash inexplicably yanking the lefty after only 76 pitches against the Dodgers. For a Mets team that has come up small in the biggest moments recently, a gamer like Snell could revitalize the entire team.
Snell's turnaround this season has put him in the thick of the NL Cy Young race. The Al Cy Young winner in 2018, clinching the award this year would put him in rare company as one of only seven players to have won it in both leagues, with the most recent being, ironically, Max Scherzer, the pitcher we're hoping he replaces in Flushing.
At 30 years old, Snell would be a respected veteran in the clubhouse, without the fear of declining production that comes with signing players nearing their 40s.
The elephant in the free agent room is, of course, Shohei Ohtani and his impending decision. Ohtani is such a unique player, though, that he deserves more than a small blurb in a larger article. Assuming he doesn't resign with the Angels, there will be plenty of time for Mets fans to get excited about the possibility of Ohtani coming to Queens, and perhaps the presence of Senga (and possibly Yamamoto) could help land the superstar.
The Mets' 2024 rotation will be in need of much more help than one player can provide. Landing two of the players listed today might seem like a pipe dream, but I wouldn't bet against Steve Cohen going the extra mile to erase the blemish of this season.
Barring an almost unheard-of comeback from a depleted roster in the home stretch of the season, Mets fans can now turn their attention to next year. Does Yamamoto, Urias, or Snell seem like a good fit?
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