The New York Mets walked into the Subway Series against the New York Yankees with one huge problem—their lack of pitching staff! All thanks to a string of injuries and a compact schedule, the Mets’ rotation looks more like a patchwork than a serious playoff-caliber team. The latest blow came when Paul Blackburn, because of a shoulder impingement. Let’s not talk about Dedniel Nunez, who may need a second Tommy John surgery in his career after an elbow sprain.

Well, both Blackburn and Nunez were not the best option for the Mets, but considering they had just started to show improvements after posting 7.71 and 4.66 ERAs, respectively, skipper Mendoza was relieved. They are going to be sidelined for 15 days, at least. Plus, it didn’t help that Blade Tidwell had just been optioned down after his start too.

The result is that emergency reinforcements were called upon. The Mets called up Austin Warren, Rico Garcia, and Justin Hagenman. Meanwhile, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are still working through their rehab assignments with hopes of returning before the All-Star break. Now, with three and a half weeks till the deadline, the trade chatter is on, and if things do not go north for the Mets, they may target three pitchers for their rotation.

Mitch Keller–Pittsburgh Pirates

The first name on the list is none other than Mitch Keller. Danielle McCartan had said, “Out of all of the ones that I kind of just briefly perused that would be on the market, Keller is going to be the best option. And even he’s not great, you know? But he’s a sub-4 ERA. He’s been fine. A three-guy, a four-guy, maybe in a rotation, he could be. But what is it that you’re gonna have to give up to get him? Because he is, in my opinion, the best—at this point—the best on the market.”And it did hit the nail on the head.

Mitch Keller is quietly but surely delivering one of the strongest seasons of his seven-year career. His 3.64 ERA over 18 starts and 84 strikeouts in 106 innings shows that he is earning each of the innings. His win-loss record is misleading because that’s more Pittsburgh battling the lineup than Keller’s pitching, isn’t it? Now, even the GM lineup games can’t hold his value.

What is crucial, though, is Keller’s contract: A five-year, $77 million deal with three seasons beyond 2025. This means no salary hassle and no bidding wars. So, for the Mets, which are in a bubble and in a desperate position to push for October, this is gold. They can get him at a cost-effective price and without the high payroll headache.

For now, he is the low-risk, high-stability option. If the front office wants a reliable piece right away, he is the clear choice.

Sandy Alcantara–Miami Marlins

If Miller sounds a little risky, then the next is Sandy Alcantara – the Cy Young winner who is now on the way to redemption. After winning the 2022 award, he hit the injured list, missed the season with a TJ surgery, and then struggled to make his comeback in 2025. His ERA is ugly, over 7.00 across 86 innings. But if you dig deeper, his FIP is interesting. Danielle points out that ERA sometimes misreads value in a messy defensive context, and Alcantara’s craft still shows up with so much noise.

Danielle mentions, “Okay, you look at him and his ERA is astronomical and you’re like, ‘Okay, well maybe the Mets could fix him,’ right? But there’s a stat—and you know that I love this one—it’s called Fielding Independent Pitching. Yeah. And what that is, it’s abbreviated FIP. And what it is is a formula that takes out all of the stuff that’s not in the pitcher’s control. So like, if you have a crappy field behind you, the ERA affects you, but the FIP doesn’t.”

But what makes Alcantara interesting is the contact. His control issues are flexible, and his strikeout arsenal is completely elite. Plus, he has two more years of team control thanks to the $21 million option for 2026. While the Yankees are also interested, the Mets know what they need more than ever. But he is not a safe alternative, completely, either, with his injury history and inconsistency. Then you might have a recipe that turns into regret.

If the New York Mets still believe a bounce-back is possible, maybe even a mediocre production can help balance or add depth to a playoff rotation. Still, the cost and the risk are the highest. Miami would want a top-class return, like top prospects. But it’s a gamble that could pay big time.

Brandon Sproat–New York Mets farm system

Brandon Sproat is the next talent—a homegrown one. He is crushing it at the Double-A Syracuse, with five scoreless innings and also eight Ks in his last. Even David Stearns mentioned that they are monitoring him. But also said they don’t want to rush. However, Danielle mentioned, “The move that David Stearn should have already made was bringing up Brandon Sproat from the minor leagues. That should have already happened.”

And it makes sense. Sproat’s ERA isn’t sexy, sitting at 5.05, but metrics show pitchers can be competitive with his mix, from strikeout upside, growing command, and consistency. He is also very young and under the team’s control for the long term. So, for future bullpen depth, he is just perfect. Promoting him now would satisfy fans and also add intrigue, but it might limit what one can get for him in a plausible trade.

For the Metsies, wanting a playoff push right now, Keller seems like the smartest step, but even other teams like the Cubs are looking at him. Alcantara is good but expensive, and Sproat is the future, but whether they keep developing him or get him to the big stage depends.

What are your speculations here?