The New York Mets had a nightmare 2026 season, as they finished last in the NL East with a 74-88 record. When noting that the Mets entered this season with high expectations, there is no question that they were among the league's biggest disappointments. One major reason for New York's bad campaign was their shaky starting rotation.
Now, as a result of this, the Mets are being urged to make a push for one of baseball's top pending free agent pitchers this offseason. In a recent article for The Athletic, Jim Bowden named the Mets as one of the best fits for San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King in free agency. Given the Mets' need for pitching help, it is understandable that they are being connected to King.
He would be a very strong addition to the front half of their pitching rotation if signed. This is because he is a star pitcher and has been for several seasons now. Yet, with King being one of this year's top pending free agent starting pitchers, he is going to be an incredibly popular target around baseball.
Thus, if the Mets make a run for him this offseason, they will have a lot of competition in the sweepstakes. In 32 games this season for the Padres, King had a 12-10 record, a 3.21 ERA, and 159 strikeouts. He has also had a 3.55 ERA or lower in each of his last six games.
With this, he is incredibly consistent and would be a strong pickup for a Mets club that needs a serious boost.
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