Kodai Senga and Chris Bassitt
There is another avenue that the New York Mets could take. Instead of attempting to replace deGrom with one pitcher, they could look at bringing in two of the best pitchers in the next tier.
Kodai Senga and Chris Bassitt are going to have plenty of suitors, the Mets amongst them. The Mets have been linked to both pitchers already, as they are not only looking to bring Bassitt back after a solid year in New York, but are also pursuing the NPB star in Senga.
Senga is a bit of a wild card. It is possible that he could be a top of the rotation arm, but it is also possible that he ends up as a high leverage reliever. He has a plus fastball and an incredible forkball along with excellent command; the problem is that his other offerings are fringy at best. However, the potential that he could be an ace is enough for teams to dream of what he could be.
The Mets know what they would get with Bassitt. He has been a solid arm, someone that brings toughness and durability to the rotation. Bassitt also performed well last season, posting a 3.42 ERA and a 1.145 WHiP over his 181.2 innings, striking out 167 batters with 49 walks. He may not be an ace, but he is a solid second or third starter.
Replacing Jacob deGrom is going to be a tough task. Instead of attempting to land one pitcher, the New York Mets may be better off with a tandem deal.