Newly-acquired right-hander Rick Porcello believes the New York Mets can end up becoming World Series contenders.
Last week, the New York Mets added depth to their pitching staff by signing Rick Porcello. The right-hander, who won the American League Cy Young Award in 2016, joined the ballclub on a one-year, $10 million deal. At the moment, he’s one of seven individuals within the team’s starting rotation, a group that’s definitely subject to change.
A report from Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated came out this week that Porcello actually turned down multiple other offers to come to the Mets. These potential deals included more money along with longer timeframes. So why did he choose Queens? Porcello ultimately believes in the pitching depth along with the Mets’ chances to become contenders.
“They’ve got a pretty strong culture of starting pitching here,” Porcello told Maggie Gray and Marc Malusis of WFAN on Tuesday. “From top to bottom, you’ve got guys that can really throw the ball. That’s something I want to be a part of. You could see the resiliency in this team last year, with some of the things that they had to deal with that were unfortunate, and how they were able to stay on track…This is a team that’s built to win and built to win now…I want to be a part of that. I want to get back to the playoffs and win another World Series.”
The veteran posted a record of 14-12 with 5.52 ERA in his final season with the Boston Red Sox in 2019. He was a part of that Boston team that emerged victorious in the 2018 Fall Classic.
Porcello isn’t the only free-agent addition the Mets made when it comes to their pitching staff. New York also signed right-hander Michael Wacha to a one-year, $3 million deal. Wacha previously spent seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
