The New York Mets are reportedly talking to the agent of right-handers Zack Wheeler and Daniel Hudson, who are both free agents.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, the New York Mets met with the agent of both Zack Wheeler and Daniel Hudson on Monday.
You’re going to see a lot of tweets this week about teams meeting with agents for x player. It’s routine and not a huge deal.
In that context we relay Mets are meeting today with agency that reps Wheeler and (more interesting to me) Daniel Hudson. Hudson should command 2 years
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) November 11, 2019
While you should take every rumor this offseason with a grain of salt, this one makes sense. The Mets are showing interest in retaining Wheeler at the right price, as any team would be. However, Martino is also reporting that Wheeler is expected to reject the qualifying offer and that it would take a major upset for Wheeler to stay in New York.
This isn’t great news for many Mets fans. On top of Wheeler leaving, this also means the team will likely replace him with a lesser pitcher that better fits their budget.
For a win-now Mets team that’s looking to improve on an 86-win season, losing a top-end starting pitcher isn’t ideal. It’ll likely lead to a major drop off in production from that rotation spot.
On the other hand, Hudson is a realistic and reasonable target for the Mets. He’s coming off an impressive second-half run with the Washington Nationals that ended with a World Series title.
The Mets were reportedly interested in signing Hudson last year as well. It would come as no surprise if Brodie Van Wagenen were to make a play for him after the season Hudson put together. New York is desperate for bullpen help and Hudson could fill that role. However, the Mets need to be careful. From 2016-18, he had a 4.57 ERA, 4.18 FIP, and 3.9 BB/9.
Relief pitchers are notoriously unpredictable and Hudson wasn’t a good one prior to this season. It’s why he signed a minor league deal prior to the 2019 campaign. While Hudson excelled last year and looks like a potentially good investment in the bullpen, the Mets must be wary of his history. A two-year deal could be a boon or a curse for this organization.
Caution and careful scouting of bullpen pieces will be key to fixing this relief pitching staff. That being said, It seems that Hudson will be a player to keep an eye on.
