To trade or not to trade: David Peterson

The New York Mets starting rotation has seen significant change during the offseason. It has been totally revamped. With Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker taking their talents elsewhere, Steve Cohen and Co. brought in future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, and Japanese export Kodai Senga.

Now that the starting five is set, the Mets may look towards adding depth pieces in case of injuries. It’s what made them such a success last season.

The good thing is that the Mets already have some solid internal options in the organization. If the Mets have the same issue as they did last season they could turn to Tylor Megill, David Peterson, or Joey Lucchesi, who is returning from Tommy John surgery.

I must mention with all this depth, it's worth exploring a trade for a possible DH or another arm for the bullpen. This brings up a huge question, who would stay, and who would go? One Mets starting pitcher that’s been on my mind as of late has been David Peterson, so it begs to ask the question.

Is it really worth it for the Mets to trade David Peterson, or should they hold onto him?

The best course of action is to hold on to the southpaw. When you look at Peterson compared to Megill and Lucchesi, I think he has the most upside.

Peterson has already proven in 2 out of 3 years in the major leagues that he can come in when needed and get the job done. Outside of an injury-plagued 2021, Peterson has not only produced a winning record but was also able to keep his earned run average in the mid to high 3’s.

His ability to come in a pinch, spot start, and on top of all of that, pitch successfully in those starts is an accomplishment that should not go unnoticed. He even came out of the bullpen when needed.

I have to talk about his usage last season because it fits the plan that Mets General Manager Billy Eppler and Manager Buck Showalter are looking for. Both Billy and Buck constantly talk about versatility and Peterson brings that from the pitching side of things.

Oh yeah, did I mention he is a southpaw? Yes, I did! With left-handed pitching at a premium, especially left-handed starters, the Mets are a leg up on most teams.

We all saw last year the Mets starting the season with an all-right-handed rotation. As much as it worked you want to see a lefty in there to mix things up. Unfortunately for Peterson, the Mets signed veteran southpaw José Quintana to fill that role this upcoming season. This still shouldn’t deter the Mets from holding on to Peterson. 

Actually, this works out perfectly because now Peterson will be able to get the proper reps down in the minors before becoming a full-time starter for the Mets in a couple of years.

Peterson has pitched through adversity most of his career and has proven that he can pitch under the bright lights of New York. That always plays a huge factor for me when it comes to shaping up the Mets roster.

If he can do it here, why not just hold on to him and make him part of the future, a future that is brighter than ever now in Queens.