Jose Quintana spent a lot of the 2024 season because the weak hyperlink within the Mets’ rotation. By means of August 20 — a degree once I occurred to verify in at Citi Discipline — he was lit for a 4.57 ERA and 5.13 FIP in 25 begins masking 134 innings. However after that date, simply when the Mets wanted him probably the most, he went on a roll, permitting 5 runs (three earned) over his subsequent eight begins totaling 47 1/3 innings; the final two of these begins had been the Wild Card and Division Sequence clinchers. Although he was shellacked by the Dodgers in his NLCS begin, he was hardly alone in that regard.
Regardless of his high-profile scorching streak, Quintana has but to discover a house for 2025. After making $13 million in every of his previous two seasons, the 36-year-old southpaw reportedly rebuffed a proposal from the Pirates that was bigger than the $5.25 million deal to which Andrew Heaney agreed final week. Whereas a return to the Mets would possibly seem like so as now that Sean Manaea will miss a piece of April as a result of an indirect pressure — that following the lack of Frankie Montas to a high-grade lat pressure that would maintain him out till mid Could or later — the staff doesn’t seem prepared so as to add one other starter from outdoors the group.
Because the Pirates’ flip from Quintana (who pitched for them in 2022) to Heaney illustrates, groups in the hunt for starters at this late stage nonetheless have a number of choices from among the many present crop of free brokers, and so they’re considerably interchangeable, in contrast to final 12 months, when two-time Cy Younger winner Blake Snell and 2023 postseason stud Jordan Montgomery didn’t signal till mid March (although the latter’s deal hasn’t work out very properly). The starters I’m highlighting on this companion piece to my place participant roundup are guys who can eat vital innings behind a rotation, whereas the relievers have loads of late-inning expertise. In distinction to the place participant piece, the place I attempted to attach the dots to potential employers both primarily based on earlier reporting or spitballing, right here I’ll be aware that the majority groups in addition to the Dodgers may use one other fourth- or fifth-starter possibility or a bullpen arm, and the place these guys land may depend on the accidents that befall pitching staffs earlier than Opening Day. Assistance is only a cellphone name away.
I’m itemizing the pitchers alphabetically inside every group whereas highlighting their Depth Charts projections, which have a lot to do with assumptions of taking part in time.
Starters
Kyle Gibson (2025 DC Projection: 1.4 WAR, 4.36 ERA, 148 IP)
In a post-pandemic world the place starter workloads are being dialed again, Gibson is one in every of simply seven pitchers to take the mound at the least 30 instances in every of the previous 4 seasons. He’s definitely not the perfect of them (Dylan Stop or Kevin Gausman most likely benefit that distinction) or probably the most achieved in October (Charlie Morton), however he’s a reliable workhorse who has averaged simply shy of two.0 WAR over the previous three seasons. The 37-year-old righty’s streak could also be in jeopardy if he doesn’t signal quickly, although.
After spending 2022 with the Phillies and ’23 with the Orioles, Gibson toiled for the Cardinals final 12 months, pitching to a 4.24 ERA and 4.42 FIP with a 20.9% strikeout price in 169 2/3 innings. The Cardinals, who loaded up on contact-oriented pitchers final winter, declined his $12 million possibility for 2025. Gibson isn’t a man with notably imposing stuff; his sinker averaged simply 90.7 mph final 12 months, and solely his slider scored as above common through our two pitch modeling techniques. Maybe most worrisome, his 9.2% barrel price was a profession excessive, up 1.6 factors from 2023, and his 9.4% stroll price was his highest full-season mark since ’18. Nonetheless, he generates a gentle provide of groundballs, so he may enchantment to a staff with a solid-or-better protection.
Lance Lynn (2025 DC Projection: 1.2 WAR, 4.41 ERA, 126 IP)
Gibson’s St. Louis teammate is a extra achieved pitcher, a two-time All-Star, along with his second choice — and a third-place Cy Younger end — as latest as 2021. He’s declined significantly since then, however after getting torched for a 5.73 ERA and 5.53 FIP in 183 2/3 innings for the White Sox and Dodgers in 2023, he trimmed these marks to a 3.84 ERA and 4.31 FIP in 117 1/3 innings final 12 months, not that his enchancment prevented the Cardinals from nixing his $12 million possibility as properly.
Lynn’s enchancment owed largely to his almost slicing his house run price in half, from a ugly 2.16 per 9 to 1.23. Sadly, his strikeout price fell for the third straight season, from 23.6% in 2023 to 21.3% in ’24. He additionally yielded his highest barrel price (10.5%) and xERA (4.94) of the Statcast period.
Lynn missed about eight weeks final season as a result of two stints on the injured checklist for proper knee irritation, making simply two begins after July 30, a problem that led him to shed 20 kilos even earlier than the Winter Conferences rolled round in an effort to take strain off his knee and to enhance his flexibility. On the time, he sounded open to revamping his arsenal and strategy, telling The Athletic:
“I form of got here to the conclusion that I wasn’t accomplished,” Lynn stated. “And if I’m not accomplished, I’ve received to vary some stuff up, simply to verify I can do the issues I have to do and provides myself the perfect probability to remain wholesome for so long as I need to do it.
“I believe I’ve revamped each 5 or 6 years. Right here’s one other revamp to perhaps prepare for my final act right here going into my late 30s.”
In late January, Lynn informed The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that a number of groups had been occupied with him as a better, harkening again to his early years when he pitched in aid for the Cardinals. No deal has come to cross, however his willingness to vary roles most likely bodes properly for him discovering a job quickly.
Jose Quintana (2025 DC Projection: 1.2 WAR, 4.31 ERA, 144 IP)
Quintana is much faraway from the 2013–19 stretch during which he averaged 32 begins, 193 innings, and three.8 WAR for Chicago’s two groups. That stated, after being restricted to only 13 begins in 2023 by a stress fracture in his rib, attributable to a benign lesion that required bone graft surgical procedure, he did make 31 begins totaling 170 1/3 innings final 12 months. His 3.75 ERA was extra spectacular than his 4.56 FIP, 18.8% strikeout price, and 1.0 WAR, however once more, he did have that late-season run.
“He stopped nibbling and he began attacking,” stated Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza when requested in October to clarify Quintana’s turnaround. “He’s going to maneuver the ball round, he’s going to go out and in, up and down, change speeds and maintain hitters off steadiness… He [had been] getting behind, strolling lots of people, and he stated, ‘Screw it, I’m going to go after individuals,’ and simply went with it and glued it.”
One large side of Quintana’s enchancment was his capacity to maintain the ball within the park; after serving up 1.48 homers per 9 by means of August 20, he went 47 1/3 innings earlier than Shohei Ohtani led off NLCS Recreation 4 with a solo shot. He relied extra on his sinker throughout that latter stretch, rising its utilization from 29.4% to 34.5%, and batters slugged simply .236 in opposition to it. Throughout that scorching streak, in addition they slugged .105 off his changeup whereas whiffing on 46.4% of their swings in opposition to it. In different phrases, the lefty confirmed he may nonetheless be fairly artful.
Spencer Turnbull (2025 DC Projection: 0.8, WAR, 4.30 ERA, 72 IP)
On Could 8, 2021, whereas pitching for the Tigers, Turnbull — a former second-round draft select of the College of Alabama — no-hit the Mariners. It’s been tough sledding since that time, as accidents have restricted him to only 17 begins, 10 aid appearances, and 101 innings. First got here Tommy John surgical procedure, which value him the remainder of 2021 and all of ’22, then a fractured neck and torn ligaments restricted him to seven begins and a 7.26 ERA in ’23. He spent final April beginning for the Phillies and pitched properly (1.67 ERA, 3.26 FIP in 32 1/3 innings) earlier than being shifted to the bullpen to accommodate the return of Taijuan Walker. He was wobbly in that position (4.26 ERA, 4.17 FIP in 19 innings) earlier than returning to the rotation to face his previous staff on June 26, however he suffered a lat pressure in his third inning of labor and by no means made it again to main league motion.
Turnbull completed with respectable numbers (2.65 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and a career-high 26.1% strikeout price) in his 54 1/3 innings. He owes a lot of his enchancment to the addition of a sweeper, which he threw one-third of the time; batters hit simply .145 and slugged .226 in opposition to it whereas whiffing on 30.8% of their swings. Given the success of that pitch and his age (32), he could properly have the very best upside of this group, even with the questions on his sturdiness.
Relievers
Kyle Finnegan (2025 DC Projection: 0.2 WAR, 3.97 ERA, 56 IP)
Final season, Finnegan made his first All-Star staff and positioned second within the NL with 38 saves (and seventh the 12 months earlier than with 28), however he was unceremoniously non-tendered by the Nationals in November. A tough second half couldn’t have helped; after he pitched to a 2.45 ERA (however a 3.98 FIP) earlier than the All-Star break, he was rocked for a 5.79 ERA (4.41 FIP) the remainder of the best way. Command points had been largely in charge, as his strikeout price fell from 26.1% to 16.4% whereas his stroll price rose from 8.1% to 10%. By PitchingBot, his total command rating dropped from 62 to 52 on the 20–80 scouting scale. A significant league-leading 11 pitch clock violations didn’t assist, nor did the truth that he was hit a lot more durable as he struggled to search out the zone. His 91.3 mph common exit velocity in opposition to final season ranked within the first percentile, along with his 48.1% hard-hit price allowed within the second.
Even with 88 saves over the previous 4 seasons, Finnegan’s modest strikeout price (22.1%) and stuff most likely forged him as extra of a center aid or setup man than a better, at the least on a very good staff. However dangerous groups want closers too, particularly when there’s an opportunity they’ll flip them in late July.
Craig Kimbrel (2025 DC Projection: 0.3 WAR, 3.93 ERA, 52 IP)
If anybody from this checklist goes to wind up within the Corridor of Fame, it’s the 36-year-old Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star who ranks fifth all time with 440 saves. Chosen for the Midsummer Traditional as just lately as 2023 whereas with the Phillies, he pitched for the Orioles final season and completed the primary half with a 2.80 ERA and a couple of.97 FIP, numbers much like AL All-Star choice Clay Holmes. Throughout that first half, he blew 5 of 28 save possibilities, however nonetheless struck out 37.6% of the hitters he confronted.
Sadly, the underside rapidly dropped out for Kimbrel, who has led one thing of a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde existence relationship again to his days with the Crimson Sox (2016–18) and Cubs (2019 to mid 2021), at instances dominating opponents the best way he did throughout his stellar run with the Braves, however generally falling into dangerous habits mechanically, struggling along with his launch level and sacrificing deception, command, and unpredictability. He was bumped out of the nearer position by the acquisition of Seranthony Domínguez in late July, and designated for project with simply 11 video games remaining within the common season, because the Orioles ran out of time to repair him.
Whereas Kimbrel’s common four-seamer misplaced about two miles per hour from 2023 to ’24 (from 95.8 mph to 93.9) — costing him some motion and inflicting the pitch to get pulverized — anyone who can miss bats with the frequency that he does is more likely to get one other look if he desires one. That’s to not say he’ll be racking up one other 20-plus saves, however as famous, he’s picked himself up off the mat earlier than.
David Robertson (2025 DC Projection: 0.7 WAR, 3.49 ERA, 61 IP)
Robertson turns 40 on April 9, however he’s coming off his finest season in additional than half a decade. Pitching for the Rangers, he made 68 appearances totaling 72 innings, posting a 3.00 ERA, 2.65 FIP, 33.4% strikeout price, and 1.9 WAR; these final three marks had been his finest since 2017, with the final of these tied with Texas teammate Kirby Yates for eighth amongst all relievers. Although he notched simply two saves, Robertson’s work usually got here in high-leverage obligation in entrance of Yates. His cutter was as efficient as ever, holding hitters to a .163 AVG and .209 SLG as they whiffed on 30.8% of their swings. Significantly provided that he’s drama free with regards to his position, he’d match into nearly any bullpen.
