As we all know, Zack Wheeler has a torn elbow ligament and will miss the entire 2015 season. Losing a young stud is a big blow for the Mets, but luckily they have quite a bit of pitching depth which should off-set the loss of Wheeler. Terry Collins immediately stated that Dillon Gee would earn the 5th starter spot, but since then there have been rumors that it may go to someone like Rafael Montero, or even an elite prospect like Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz. In this article I will list all of the options that the Mets have internally to replace Wheeler.
Dillon Gee- He's the safe pick. Gee is PROBABLY going to take Wheeler's spot in the rotation because of his track record and experience as a Major League starter. The 28 year old had a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts for the Mets last year, a slight step down from his strong 2013 campaign, where he put up a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts, while accumulating 12 wins.
If Gee doesn't win the job, I expect there to be quite a bit of noise from him, and rightfully so, as the organization hasn't really treated him fairly for a couple months now.
Steven Matz- One could argue that Matz is the LEAST likely to make the roster out of all the names on this list, but it still seems like he will get a fair shot to prove himself. The 23 year old lefty had a 2.25 ERA in 24 starts for St. Lucie and Binghamton last year, and has a 1.80 ERA in 2 appearances so far in Spring Training.
Matz will be on the Mets in 2015, that is all but guaranteed. It is probably smarter to wait and let his Super-Two status kick in before calling him up. With that said, he will start the season in Las Vegas, and likely receive the call the big leagues in May or June.
Rafael Montero- Montero has been a wildcard for some time now. He has been surrounded by trade rumors over the good part of the last two years, but somehow the Mets still have him. Another thing to consider is that he is still only 24 years old, so age is certainly on his side. Montero showed some promise in his cup of coffee with the Mets in 2014, pitching to a 4.06 ERA in 10 games (eight starts).
Montero's control has been dominant throughout his minor league career, but that was not evident when he pitched for the varsity squad. A 4.7 BB/9 ratio really made Mets fans second guess what they had in Montero, and led them to believe that he needed more Triple-A seasoning.
In any event, Montero could slip into the 5th starter role with a solid Spring. I'm talking about a VERY solid Spring.
Noah Syndergaard- Perhaps the most popular name on this list, Syndergaard is looked at as a franchise-changing pitcher, which is what the Mets would love to get in 2015, especially with the Wheeler news. Ever since coming over from Toronto in the R.A. Dickey trade, Syndergaard has done nothing but impress scouts, opposing players, and pretty much anyone who has seen him step on the mound.
He is still only 22 years old, and like Matz, it would be wise to wait and call him up in May to preserve his Super-Two status. Having him break camp, however, would symbolize the franchise's urgency to win NOW.
* Matt Harvey, Jon Niese, Bartolo Colon, and Jacob deGrom were left off this list because all four are expected to be in the Starting Rotation.
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