Rick Porcello reportedly turned down offers from other teams before signing a one-year deal with the New York Mets.
Last week, the New York Mets were able to add depth to their starting rotation. They signed right-hander Rick Porcello to a one-year deal worth $10 million. Porcello will thus be joining a rotation that currently includes six individuals.
It’s not like Porcello didn’t possess a choice of where he wanted to end up, either. According to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, the former Boston Red Sox pitcher turned down offers from numerous other ballclubs. These teams include the Toronto Blue Jays, who offered him a $12 million deal. Porcello also declined a $14 million offer along with other deals that were multi-year contracts.
With the addition of Porcello, the Mets now have two men in the rotation who’ve won a Cy Young in the past. Porcello won the American League Cy Young Award in 2016 while in Boston. He also led the AL in wins that year. Veteran Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom has won each of the last two National League Cy Young Awards.
Last season, Porcello finished with a record of 14-12 through 32 starts. He posted an ERA of 5.52 and a WHIP of 1.394 through 174.1 total innings pitched.
If the Mets want to decrease the number of individuals they have within their rotation to five, they could make a trade or move someone to the bullpen. A name that may be involved with either move is Steven Matz. The Mets moved the lefty to the bullpen for two games last season.
