The Mets signing veteran lefty Jason Vargas to a two-year deal worth $16 million on Friday is going to have a major impact on their rotation this season. While the name of Vargas doesn't jump off the page like free agents Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb, the Mets made the deal with Vargas as insurance to a starting rotation ravaged by injuries the past two seasons.
Vargas has had a rather mediocre career. He's bounced around between five different teams over the past 12 seasons and never had an ERA lower than 3.78 for a full season. However last season, he seemed to put it together at age 34 when he won 18 games and was an All Star for the Kansas City Royals. His pitching coach at the time? New Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland who had Vargas when they were together at the Royals. Obviously the familiarity between the two is a big reason why Vargas comes aboard.
The injury history of the Mets rotation is the biggest reason. So consider the move a shot across the bow of Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler.
Both Wheeler and Matz have had a lot of trouble staying on the field for long durations of time. Wheeler missed all of the 2015 season because of Tommy John Surgery. A year later, he missed the entire 2016 season because of various setbacks. Last season, he missed time early in the year due to biceps tendonitis, and was later shut down for the year after a stress reaction in his right arm.
Aside from the injuries Wheeler has been inconsistent. A 3-7 record in 17 starts with a 5.21 ERA, and he continued to struggle with walks and high pitch counts, something that plagued the early part of his career.
On the flip side, Matz is still searching to get back to the guy who was 4-0 down the stretch of the 2015 season. The last two years have not been kind to him. He was bothered by a bone spur in his left elbow that affected his pitching during the season. By September of 2016, the Mets had to shut Matz down to undergo surgery for the bone spur.
Last season was a nightmare for Matz. He battled through injuries all season, and a career worst 2-7 record with a 6.08 ERA before he had season-ending elbow surgery last August.
When asked by reporters about the signing, Wheeler was visibly bothered by the move, saying only he will not change his mindset for the rest of camp. One can understand his frustration. Not only is he trying to prove he's the strongest he's been in a long while, he just recently won an arbitration settlement with the Mets for $1.9 million. It shouldn't be surprising that the Vargas signing didn't sit well with him.
Should Vargas make the team as a starter, it will leave only one spot up for grabs between Wheeler, Matz, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo. Both Lugo and Gsellman have been up and down in the Mets system between the Major's and Triple-A the past two years; both will have options in 2018. So in reality the fifth spot is between Wheeler and Matz.
It's hard to say at this point who would be the favorite to be the rotation or in the bullpen. Wheeler is not a guy who has recovered well after starts and has never been a reliever at any level of his career. Having a lefty like Matz come out of the pen might be more attractive. It's anyone's guess at this point. We'll see how this plays out once the games begin in two weeks.
Either way, as we learned last season, the Mets can't have enough starting pitching, and adding Vargas gives Mickey Callaway some much needed depth.
Vargas has had a rather mediocre career. He's bounced around between five different teams over the past 12 seasons and never had an ERA lower than 3.78 for a full season. However last season, he seemed to put it together at age 34 when he won 18 games and was an All Star for the Kansas City Royals. His pitching coach at the time? New Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland who had Vargas when they were together at the Royals. Obviously the familiarity between the two is a big reason why Vargas comes aboard.The injury history of the Mets rotation is the biggest reason. So consider the move a shot across the bow of Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler.
Both Wheeler and Matz have had a lot of trouble staying on the field for long durations of time. Wheeler missed all of the 2015 season because of Tommy John Surgery. A year later, he missed the entire 2016 season because of various setbacks. Last season, he missed time early in the year due to biceps tendonitis, and was later shut down for the year after a stress reaction in his right arm.
Aside from the injuries Wheeler has been inconsistent. A 3-7 record in 17 starts with a 5.21 ERA, and he continued to struggle with walks and high pitch counts, something that plagued the early part of his career.
On the flip side, Matz is still searching to get back to the guy who was 4-0 down the stretch of the 2015 season. The last two years have not been kind to him. He was bothered by a bone spur in his left elbow that affected his pitching during the season. By September of 2016, the Mets had to shut Matz down to undergo surgery for the bone spur.
Last season was a nightmare for Matz. He battled through injuries all season, and a career worst 2-7 record with a 6.08 ERA before he had season-ending elbow surgery last August.
When asked by reporters about the signing, Wheeler was visibly bothered by the move, saying only he will not change his mindset for the rest of camp. One can understand his frustration. Not only is he trying to prove he's the strongest he's been in a long while, he just recently won an arbitration settlement with the Mets for $1.9 million. It shouldn't be surprising that the Vargas signing didn't sit well with him.
Should Vargas make the team as a starter, it will leave only one spot up for grabs between Wheeler, Matz, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo. Both Lugo and Gsellman have been up and down in the Mets system between the Major's and Triple-A the past two years; both will have options in 2018. So in reality the fifth spot is between Wheeler and Matz.
It's hard to say at this point who would be the favorite to be the rotation or in the bullpen. Wheeler is not a guy who has recovered well after starts and has never been a reliever at any level of his career. Having a lefty like Matz come out of the pen might be more attractive. It's anyone's guess at this point. We'll see how this plays out once the games begin in two weeks.
Either way, as we learned last season, the Mets can't have enough starting pitching, and adding Vargas gives Mickey Callaway some much needed depth.
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