While the Mets await a great potential splash for their rotation, they continue to look for pieces of less depth.
Jordan Yamamoto fits that description. On Monday, the Mets acquired the Miami right for minor league field player Federico Polanco. To create space on the list of 40 men, infielder Robel Garcia was assigned to the designation.
Yamamoto, 24, made 4-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 15 games for Miami in 2019. He was assigned to the assignment after shooting for an 18.26 ERA in four games with the club last year. .
Trevor Bauer remains the major focus of the Mets, while team leaders await the decision of last year’s National League Cy Young award winner, who is the best free-agent pitcher on the market. The Mets have already added Carlos Carrasco to the rotation as part of Francisco Lindor’s exchange with Cleveland and returned Marcus Stroman through a qualifying offer. Joey Lucchesi, who arrived in a three-way deal involving priests and pirates, is another rotation option.
If the Mets hired Bauer, their rotation towards spring training would be among the best in baseball, with Jacob deGrom, Carrasco and Stroman also included, along with David Peterson, Lucchesi or Yamamoto. In June, the Mets hopes to have Noah Syndergaard, who is recovering from Tommy John’s surgery, added to this rotation. In addition, team president Sandy Alderson did not rule out Seth Lugo for the initial rotation, but the right-hand man can help the team more in the bullpen.
Yamamoto and Lucchesi have remaining options and, at the very least, would give depth to Triple-A Syracuse, along with Jerad Eickhoff, who signed a minor league contract early in the off-season. Corey Oswalt and Franklyn Kilome provide additional depth.
Yamamoto in 2019 allowed only 6.18 strikes for nine entries, who came in third in the MLB – behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole – among the pitchers who started at least 15 games.