Three potential offseason pitching targets for the New York Mets

The New York Mets will head into the offseason seeking pitching following a challenging and disappointing 2023 season, but it remains unclear who exactly will be running the club's front office. That could ultimately play a key impact in the exact approach the Mets pursue. 

Regardless, here are three arms New York should look into.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Orix Buffaloes (NPB)

Few baseball fans are unfamiliar with Yamamoto by now. The right-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League for the past few seasons, and the Buffaloes are expected to post him ahead of the 2024 season. Numerous teams are already being linked to the two-time Triple Crown winner, and many expect him to sign a deal bigger than the $155M contract the Yankees gave Masahiro Tanaka in 2014. The Mets reached into the NPB market last winter, bringing in Kodai Senga, and could very well do so again in an effort to sign Yamamoto. 

Yamamoto turned 25 in August and is finishing his seventh season with the Buffaloes. He holds a 1.84 ERA and 0.936 WHIP in that stretch, twice winning the Eiji Sawamura Award (NPB's comparable to the Cy Young Award). Last week he pitched his second career no-hitter. 

Luis Severino, RHP, New York Yankees

The injury history is lengthy (strained rotator cuff, lat strain, Tommy John surgery, a strained groin, then another lat strain), and poor performance marred what will likely be his final season as a Yankee. Still, Severino's tenure in New York was a mostly positive one. He won 54 games and posted a 3.79 ERA with the Yankees, throwing over 700 innings in his career with a pair of All-Star appearances. 

Severino will turn 30 in February, and while the injury history may be a concern for some teams, it's likely that he'll have options on the free-agent market. Teams have seen what he's capable of when healthy, and teams are always on the hunt for depth. Severino's familiarity pitching in and living in New York City could make a move across town to the Mets more palatable. 

Amir Garrett, LHP, Free Agent

Most of the moves on the pitching front may be focused on the rotation for the Mets, but the club will still look to address the bullpen. Garrett may not be a splashy addition, but he could be a useful role player in the right mix. He's posted good strikeout numbers in his career but has also been hit hard (and at times, often). 

Garrett has spent his career with the Reds and Royals, before the latter granted him his release in July. He spent a month with the Guardians' Triple-A affiliate before returning to the open market.