Mets beat writer Matt Ehalt analyzes Jeff Wilpon's discussion about the team's payroll and the frustration of the fans. Matt Ehalt/NorthJersey.com
NEW YORK -- It all comes back to the pitching.
As Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and general manager Sandy Alderson defended the team's mid-tier payroll Tuesday, both said they expect the Mets can contend in 2018.
For that to happen, it will require the pitching staff returning to form. Otherwise, the Mets may be staring at a second straight losing season.
"We feel really good about the team right now," Alderson said. "Our season is going to turn on the health of our pitching, and if our pitching is healthy, and I mean reasonably healthy, doesn’t have to be perfect, not every one of our pitchers is going to be in perfect health throughout the season. If we have reasonably healthy seasons out of our pitchers, particularly our starting pitching, we’re going to be pretty good.”
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The Mets are built to win on the strength of their pitching staff, but the once-elite unit has slipped back to the pack after a terrible 2017 season. The starters aside from Jacob deGrom struggled to stay healthy, and most failed to do what they're capable of doing.
The team hopes that new manager Mickey Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland will fix any mechanical issues, and implement new training philosophies that will help the starters stay healthy. Eiland and Callaway have already instituted an offseason throwing program, and Alderson says the team is monitoring the starters more closely.
“I’m very excited having Mickey and Dave here along with the new medical protocols to get us in the best position possible where these pitchers can go out and perform, because when they’re on the mound, they perform," Wilpon said. "We’re looking for the historical norm of what they’ve done. If we can get them all out there it will be a great problem to have that we don’t have enough innings for all these starting pitchers to fulfill."
The Mets have not added a starting pitching this offseason and might not, and that could prove to be a gamble for the team's decision makers. While they can be hopeful that the staff will be healthier, recent history has shown this is an injury-prone group.
Alderson mentioned at the end of the season the possibility of signing a veteran innings eater, but the team has cooled on that idea. While Alderson indicated the team will monitor the market for value, a source indicated that adding a pitcher is not a high priority. Any starter the team may add would likely be on a low-cost deal.
"We still like our depth," Alderson said. "But realistically we need to be open-minded about what can happen and what might be available."