Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer side by side at spring training in Port St. Lucie
In the aftermath of the news that Jacob deGrom’s shoulder injury would cost him significant time, it was reasonable to wonder what the Mets would do to cover for the loss.
The view from here is that they have probably already done it.
With the team in win-now mode, owner Steve Cohen recruited and landed free agent Max Scherzer before the lockout. When transactions resumed, GM Billy Eppler traded for Chris Bassitt, a legitimate top-of-the-rotation pitcher from Oakland.
The Mets hoped that deGrom would join those two in the rotation, along with Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco. But they understood that it was wise to purchase a few high-end insurance policies for an ace who last pitched on July 7.
While Eppler will naturally remain open to new ideas and opportunities, he summed up his feelings succinctly on Friday when he said, “I feel really good about the depth we have.”