The New York Mets’ starting rotation has been hammered by injuries. They could fix it now if they give the Pittsburgh Pirates a call.
The New York Mets entered the season with one of the strongest starting rotations in the league, with Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer leading the way. But, things have not gotten off to plan.
deGrom has yet to take the mound this season, as he was diagnosed with stress reaction of his right scapula. Then, Scherzer left a start in the past month, where he was diagnosed with oblique strain that will knock him out for a significant chunk of the season.
Despite these injuries, the Mets still sit atop of the NL East. Still, it would not hurt for the team to make an addition to the starting rotation ahead or at the trade deadline. In that case, the Mets should give the Pittsburgh Pirates a call regarding Jose Quintana.
Mets: A trade for Jose Quintana that works
Last year, Quintana held a 6.43 ERA after splitting time between the Los Angeles Angels and San Francsico Giants. But after signing with the Pirates, Quintana is having a great start to the 2022 campaign.
Through nine starts in 2022, Quintana recorded a 2.15 ERA, a 1.174 WHIP and 38 strikeouts over 46.0 innings of work.
The Pirates would be wise to trade their top player available at the deadline to further help in their rebuild. For New York, they could send No. 11 prospect Calvin Ziegler and No. 28 prospect Carps Rincon. Given that Quintana has held an ERA over 4.00 in each of the previous five seasons, the Mets would not need to give up too much in terms of prospects.
Mets Get
Jose Quintana
Pirates Get
Calvin Ziegler
Carlos Rincon
Ziegler is a second-round pick by New York and is just 19 years old. He has pitched seven games for the team this season, where he recorded a 3.10 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts over 29.0 innings.
As for Rincon, he does possess power that could entice the Pirates. The previous year in Double A, Rincon slashed .265/.334/.496 while recording 22 home runs, 77 RBI and 101 hits through 101 games.
The Mets should at least consider making this move, as the more pitching options they have in the postseason, the better off they will be.