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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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It's a new year, and the New York Mets still have yet to address their starting rotation ahead of the upcoming season.
While David Stearns may be willing to put his faith in his trio of young arms, the Mets president of baseball operations still needs to add at least one veteran who can eat innings every five days. There aren't many elite options left on the market for the Mets to pursue, so Stearns needs to make a move rather quickly.
One of the remaining quality arms is Philadelphia Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez, who is expected to sign elsewhere. Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports predicted the Mets to swoop in and pry him away from a division rival.
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"Logical landing spot: New York Mets. A master of command, Suarez has thrived despite a low-90s fastball with a vast arsenal that has helped him consistently induce soft contact and keep the ball on the ground," Kavner wrote. "And even without the swing-and-miss stuff of a typical ace, he has thrived when given the opportunity in October with a 1.48 career postseason ERA over 11 appearances (including eight starts). Those qualities would help a volatile Mets rotation that had the sixth-highest hard-hit rate and ranked 18th in ERA last season. Considering the mass exodus out of Queens to begin the offseason, it’s hard to envision a world in which the Mets don’t grab one of the top remaining starting pitchers on the market."
Suarez would immediately slot in at the top of the rotation for the Mets and help provide a different look to opponents. The veteran left-hander produced a 3.20 ERA last season for the Phillies, and he is certainly familiar with pitching in the National League East.
The Mets have been reported all offseason to be avoiding long-term deals with starting pitchers. If that is truly the case, they would need to significantly bump up the average annual value to land Suarez. A deal similar to the one Alex Bregman signed last season with the Boston Red Sox would likely be the general framework, with opt-outs after each year.
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