The New York Mets are having an interesting offseason. They’ve added superstar Juan Soto to the lineup and inked a deal with star reliever AJ Minter. On top of that, they retained one of their best pitchers from 2024, Sean Manaea. David Stearns and Steve Cohen also retained Jesse Winker, who raked in the postseason with New York. Now, their attention is on more Scott Boras clients.
Pete Alonso could be a key piece in the 2025 lineup, but the Mets have focused on other areas of need. The lineup will feature Soto, Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo as the key cogs without Alonso. Although no Polar Bear will be a tough pill to swallow, it’s still a relatively great lineup.
The starting rotation is where the team desperately needs help. Bringing back Manaea was a great move by Stearns. Kodai Senga’s return should help, but the rest of the rotation is questionable. David Peterson posted a 2.90 ERA in 2024, but he posted a 5.03 ERA in 2025. Frankie Montas is coming off a rough season, and Clay Holmes hasn’t started an MLB game since 2018.
Should the Mets reunite with an old friend?
Stearns is a fan of a six-man rotation, so adding another pitcher could be beneficial. Currently, Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn, and Griffin Canning are the candidates to fight for the last spot. However, one Boras client who knows the Mets well is still available. According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, New York attended a Max Scherzer throwing session earlier this week.
Even though he will turn 41 in July, Scherzer is a great pitcher when he’s healthy. During his two seasons in New York, he posted a 3.02 ERA with 294 strikeouts across 253 innings of work. In 2024, eight-time All-Star appeared in just nine games for the Texas Rangers. He only allowed more than three runs just one time in those starts.
One veteran pitcher who is comparable to Scherzer is Justin Verlander. Verlander, who had a brief stint with the Mets, recently signed a one-year deal worth $15 million with the San Francisco Giants. Scherzer won’t command a mega contract like he did when he last signed with New York. Sportrac estimates the three-time Cy Young will command a salary of around $15.2 million. The Mets could get a great return on their investment if Scherzer can replicate what he provided them a few years ago.
