The Mets addressed a glaring need with the acquisition of Rich Hill last week, but with the trade deadline just days away, acting general manager Zack Scott believes the team could use more help in the rotation, and will be on the lookout to upgrade in any way he can.
"Adding Rich definitely helps, but I still think we need to improve and just have more depth there," Scott told reporters on Monday. "Obviously we have some guys on the cusp of returning that can make an impact, a positive impact for the club. I know I've said this before, but with the deadline, we don't have the August waiver period anymore, so we have to put our best foot forward in terms of getting the most pitching depth that we can."
Currently, the Mets have Jacob deGrom and David Peterson on the IL, while Joey Lucchesi and Robert Stock have both been lost for the season. Taijuan Walker, after being selected to his first All-Star team, has struggled badly of late, while Carlos Carrasco should make his Mets debut this weekend, right after Hill's second start with New York. But there are still rotation spots that need to be filled, and starters like Max Scherzer and Jose Berrios could be available this week.
While Scott said the focus will remain on pitching, the Mets are still monitoring the market for all positions, looking to upgrade wherever they can as they look to solidify their place atop the NL East as the final two months of the season approaches.
"There's still a focus on upgrading the team any way we can," Scott said. "Adding more talent, not so much upgrading as adding. Exploring position players, relievers, really all of the above."
The Mets likely don't have the prospect pool to add both a high-profile starter and an impact bat like Kris Bryant, but Scott will explore all options, though he does feel more comfortable with the team's offense coming out of the All-Star break, as the bats have been much improved since finishing the first half of the season with one of the lowest scoring outputs in the league. But as the lineup has gotten closer to full strength, the runs have increased, though that hasn't slowed Scott's monitoring of the market in terms of a proven hitter that could bring versatility in the field.
"It's good to see some of the guys performing at their expected level, starting to show some improvements," Scott said. "Again, it doesn't change. We always have to be exploring ways to improve the club. But as I've said before, we have a lot of good position players, so we're mindful of if we add a player, it's a zero sum game here. We're taking at-bats away from someone else. We need to make sure that's improving our club based on the acquisition cost."
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