The New York Mets missed the playoffs again this season, marking the second straight year for the organization.
Even with the Mets spending all sorts of money on the roster, the team has continued to underperform, raising a lot of questions around the team. New York will be entering the upcoming offseason ready to make some changes, with the ownership ready to spend.
The Mets have one of the richest owners in the sport, and the results from the last few years have been tough to watch play out. But New York is expected to make some aggressive moves this winter, giving the team a better chance to get to the playoffs in 2027.
The team needs help in the starting rotation, but also within the bullpen arms, giving the organization more to use for next season. New York has multiple holes across the roster, and the front office has some work to do this offseason.
Mets Linked to All-Star
One name that could be interesting for the Mets to consider is veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn, who was with the New York Yankees last season. Blackburn could be a solid piece for the Mets pitching staff, giving them more depth to work with.
MLB analyst Darragh McDonald from MLB Trade Rumors predicted the Mets would land Blackburn this offseason. The contract projection for the right-hander came in at two years, worth $15 million, which seems about right for his production.
“The 32-year-old (33 in December) made a few changes to his pitch mix. Blackburn scaled up his changeup usage and handled lefty batters with a barrage of secondary stuff (mostly changeups, cutters, and curveballs). He added two ticks of velocity to his sinker, which sat at 94.3 mph this year after landing in the 91-92 range for the majority of his career. While some of that is attributable to the relief role, he surely also benefitted from better health after battling a litany of injuries from 2022-25,” MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
With the Yankees, Blackburn posted a 1.59 ERA over 62 appearances (two starts), with the veteran firing 85.0 innings. During this time, Blackburn struck out 69 batters, helping the Yankees have a strong setup man in relief.
Should the Mets Go After This Signing?
While Blackburn isn’t the big home run signing that some fans want this offseason, he could still be a quality depth piece. All teams need more depth for the starting rotation or in the bullpen, and this is exactly what Blackburn projects as.
New York is planning to go after pitchers like Tarik Skubal, but the team needs backend starters as well. Blackburn could be just what this team needs, giving them someone who can work as a starter, or even as a long relief pitcher.
The right-hander has experience doing both, which could help his free agency, having become one of the more reliable arms for Yankees manager Aaron Boone this past season. Overall, this could be a strong signing for the Mets, helping this team get back to the postseason sooner rather than later.
Mets Predicted to Land Yankees All-Star in Major Offseason Move