Report: Day After Adding Wacha, Mets Reach Agreement With Right-Hander Porcello
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After losing Zack Wheeler in free agency, there was concern about the arms the Mets would throw out there behind two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and veterans Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.
Well, that anxiety should now be somewhat alleviated.
On Wednesday, New York reportedly reached an agreement on a one-year contract with right-hander Michael Wacha. Less than 24 hours later, reports surfaced saying general manager Brodie Van Wagenen had come to terms with veteran righty Rick Porcello on a one-year, $10 million deal.
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The Mets will need those moves to work out considering what division rivals Washington, Atlanta and Philadelphia will be trotting out to the mound on a daily basis.
While both pitchers are more than capable, Wacha, 28, and Porcello, 30, don't come without risks. They are each coming off substandard 2019 seasons.
Wacha, who finished 6-7 with a 4.76 ERA in 29 appearances, including 24 starts, for St. Louis, will reportedly receive a $3 million base salary and can make an additional $7 million in incentives. Despite going 59-39 with a 3.91 ERA overall, injury-prone Wacha has made 30 starts just twice during his seven-year career.
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Porcello, who hails from Morristown, N.J., has been durable throughout his 11-year career, making at least 30 starts nine times. Concerns about him are more about consistency. He has posted double-digit wins every season but one and won the Cy Young Award in 2016 after going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA for Boston, but for his career has a 4.36 ERA. He did win 14 games for the Red Sox last season, but posted a gruesome 5.52 ERA, the highest among starting pitchers in the majors.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported the Mets were looking to unload a contract to offset a lot of the $13 million they are bringing in with Wacha and Porcello. He speculated Van Wagenen might try to find a taker for veteran infielder Jed Lowrie, who is due $9 million in 2020 after playing in just nine games last season due to injury.
