The New York Mets will have a busy offseason. David Stearns, the team’s top exec, essentially has to revamp his roster to help save his job. Despite having one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, the Mets have struggled on the field over the last two years. New York has several roster holes to fill, but pitching will be a key area of concern this winter.
Stearns and the Mets are expected to target top free agent pitchers such as Tarik Skubal and Michael King. However, New York could also explore a trade to boost its rotation. With this in mind, SNY’s Danny Abriano has contemplated the pros and cons of the team targeting Drew Rasmussen. The two-time All-Star will be an unrestricted free agent after next season.
Due to hitting several option escalators, the Tampa Bay Rays star will earn $20 million for the 2027 season. This is a figure some believe the American League champs may not want to pay, though. If not, the SNY reporter believes the New York Mets should go all out for Rasmussen.
“Go for it,” proclaims Abriano. “If the Rays make Rasmussen available, he would very likely be the best starting pitcher on the trade market. And the Mets should be greedy when it comes to bolstering a rotation that has been their undoing two seasons in a row.”
“Pairing Rasmussen with Skubal would be seismic. But even if the Mets aren’t the top bidder for Skubal, they could still transform their rotation by trading for Rasmussen and signing someone like King or (Clay) Holmes.”
New York Mets Have to Make Significant Trade Offer for Drew Rasmussen
While Rasmussen is set to be Tampa’s highest-paid player by some margin, the club is, so far, claiming that he will remain with the team. The Rays recently exercised their aforementioned club option to keep the star next season. Tampa’s top exec, Erik Neander, then told reporters that he has “every intention” of placing the pitcher atop his rotation in 2027.
The words, however, will likely not quiet the trade links. After all, Neander’s comments were not exactly forceful. Because of this, teams from around Major League Baseball, including the New York Mets, likely remain interested in Rasmussen.
While past injury issues are a concern, the ace posted a 2.67 ERA in 30 regular-season starts with Tampa in 2026. He also led the league with a minuscule 0.91 WHIP and finished 11th in baseball with a 4.7 WAR. The New York Mets would love to add a starter with this quality.
New York Will Face Competition for Star Pitcher
Outside of Nolan McLean, the New York Mets did not get a ton of help from their rotation this past season. In fact, no regular starter on the team posted an ERA under 3.40 and a WAR above 1.7 on the campaign. Zac Thornton was the closest number two starter for New York, but made just 15 total starts in 2026.
Although Stearns and the Mets will likely be interested in Rasmussen, they will not be alone. The San Francisco Giants have already been linked to a potential deal for the Tampa star. If the Rays do shop the ace, several other teams are likely to enter the conversation as well.
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