The Mets may have a perfect target to chase this offseason if Tampa Bay sticks to one of its usual habits and moves on from talent before free agency.
That possibility points straight to Drew Rasmussen, the Rays’ ace and one of the most appealing arms on the market if the club decides to make him available. Rasmussen has been operating at a top-end level all season and into the postseason, and his performance has now earned him back-to-back All-Star nods after he made the team for the first time in 2025.
“There hasn't been much buzz yet regarding which players other teams might make available this offseason, but Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen ($20 million team option for 2027 in his last year before free agency) and some of the Mariners' starting pitchers (given their glut of rotation options) could be available,” Danny Abriano wrote.
The fit with New York is obvious on paper, even if the price tag won’t be. A trade for Rasmussen would cost real prospect capital, and the Mets would also be staring down an expensive final season before free agency. Still, this is the kind of pitcher that can change a staff, which is why his name belongs near the top of any Mets wish list if Tampa Bay puts him on the block.
Rasmussen’s path also adds a neat wrinkle here: he pitched for the Brewers in 2020 and 2021 before landing with the Rays. Since arriving in Tampa Bay, he has been nothing short of elite, putting together a 2.76 ERA over the past five seasons.
If the Rays decide to keep following the playbook they’ve used before, the Mets would have a compelling name to pursue.
In Other News...
Mets Still Have One Massive Roster Question To Solve
The Mets are already looking past the immediate noise of a long season and into the shape of their 2027 roster, where the most obvious hole sits at the top of the rotation. Even with a number of useful names in circulation, the current picture still points to a club that could use a true front-line starter to anchor everything else, the kind of pitcher who changes how a staff is built and how a front office can spend elsewhere.
Tarik Skubal stands out as the big prize if the market ever opens up, but he is hardly the only item on the to-do list. New York also has to sort out the right side of the lineup and the bench with a right-handed first baseman and a right-handed fourth outfielder, while the bullpen could use another late-inning arm to deepen the back end. That is a lot to manage in one winter, and it is the sort of roster math that can quietly define whether the Mets are merely competitive or truly built for October. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Find Smart Rotation And Outfield Help In One Market
The Mets are looking at a potentially useful corner of the market as they try to line up rotation and outfield help, and it starts with a few players whose contracts could put them in play soon. San Diego right-hander Michael King, Chicago left-hander Matthew Boyd and Toronto outfielder Myles Straw all fit the kind of profile New York would at least have to monitor, whether the need is pitching depth or a glove-first option in center.
What makes the group interesting is that none of the names requires a long leap to connect with the Mets roster needs. King and Boyd both offer starting-pitching intrigue, while Straw gives the front office another path if it wants to add speed and defense in the outfield. The catch is that each case depends on contract decisions still to come, which keeps the Mets in wait-and-see mode for now. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Rotation Overhaul Could Put One Young Arm In Trouble
The Mets spent the trade deadline reshaping the roster, and the rotation is still clearly on the to-do list. David Stearns has already said the club needs to add starting pitching, a reminder that even after the deadline moves, there is more work ahead if New York wants to stabilize the staff for the stretch run and beyond.
For Zac Thornton, that looming overhaul could make life more complicated rather than less. He is part of the conversation for a rotation spot now, but any offseason push to bolster the group would tighten the competition quickly and could leave him fighting just to stay in the mix. If the Mets do land a frontline arm or two, the young right-hander's path may lead elsewhere for more development, which is exactly the sort of decision this front office will have to weigh carefully. [Read more 🡒]