One of the Mets' biggest offseason topics is rebuilding a rotation that has multiple vacancies.
Heading to free agency are Sean Manaea (almost certain), Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana. Christian Scott will miss next season.
Kodai Senga and David Peterson are the only certainties in the 2025 starting group, with potential depth/swing options including Tyler Megill, Paul Blackburn, and Joey Lucchesi.
Potential candidates such as Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell could weigh in on this discussion.
The wild card in the 2025 rotation will revolve around how the Mets decide how best to take Jose Butt, who they say is not a priority.
“If they make me the starter, I'll be the starter,” Butt said before the Mets faced the Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League series at Citi Field. “If they put me in the bullpen like they did this year, I would do that too.
“I do what they ask me to do.”
Butto did everything the Mets asked him to do this year and did well overall.
After an inconsistent 2023 season, Butt returned with a different pitch composition, a refined and somewhat new sinker, and did a great job filling in the gaps as others dropped off earlier in the season.
The 26-year-old posted a 3.08 ERA in seven starts before being demoted to Triple-A Syracuse, but he re-emerged because he was needed in the Mets' bullpen.
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Since early July, Butt has become a threat every few days, posting a 2.00 ERA in 36 frames through 23 games, pitching multiple innings as a nice bridge to the final stretch.
Perhaps the Mets have found the next Seth Lugo. He is a pitcher who can play as a starter or reliever, which is extremely valuable and at the same time a big decision for the club.
In retrospect, the Mets probably made the wrong choice in Lugo, who was a solid reliever in Queens but emerged as an All-Star starter with the Royals.
With Butt, the club no longer has to worry about those decisions. Despite experiencing some struggles in the playoffs, Butt impressed with his ability to swap pitching paths midway through the season.
“It was a little different at first,” Bhutto said, adding that once she got the routine down, it was hardly difficult to adjust.
