Brodie Van Wagenen means business. As the 2019 Mets season got off to a successful start on the field, the first-year general manager was reportedly thinking about adding even more reinforcements on the pitching side. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets are among the teams “circling” around free-agent pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel. The Mets and Brewers are among the other clubs that have checked in on Keuchel, though the Brewers remain more interested in the other top remaining free agent, reliever Craig Kimbrel, sources say. The Mets continue to call on both Keuchel and Kimbrel as a matter of due diligence, and other contenders are taking the same approach, not wanting to be caught unaware if an opportunity arises; the Rays have stayed in touch on Kimbrel as well, sources say. For the Mets, the addition of Keuchel or Kimbrel would be a luxury, and one that likely would require creativity in order to fit into their budget. The team currently is set with five starting pitchers, and Jeurys Familia and Edwin Díaz at the back of its bullpen. But contenders are forever in search of quality pitching depth. And the Mets, currently carrying 12 pitchers, easily could expand to 13. Adding Keuchel to the starting pitching rotation would give the Mets, on paper, baseball’s best rotation. If an arm like Steven Matz became the No. 5 starter in the rotation, the group would be scary. Kimbrel could complete a dominant trio in the backend of the bullpen alongside Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz. New York’s payroll sat at slightly over $158M on Opening Day, the highest in team history. Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.<doc-sep>Bob Levey/Getty Images The New York Mets are engaged in "continued contact with free-agent pitcher Dallas Keuchel," sources told Andy Martino of Sportsnet New York on Wednesday. On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that the Mets have "checked in" on the left-handed starter as well as closer Craig Kimbrel "as a matter of due diligence." Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young award winner, went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA for the Houston Astros last season. The 31-year-old punched out 153 batters in 204.2 innings. Keuchel would be a great fit on a Mets team that's in "win-now mode," as Martino put it. Notably, New York signed Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom to a five-year extension and added second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Mets clearly see themselves as contenders and are off to a good start with four wins in their first five games. The back end of the starting rotation has some question marks, however. Fifth starter Jason Vargas, who went 7-9 with a 5.77 ERA last season, allowed nine baserunners and struck out just two batters in five innings on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. Vargas did end up with the win after allowing just two runs, but the Mets may have an issue if his form from last season wasn't an outlier. Martino said that the Mets "are monitoring Vargas' performance carefully." At his best, Keuchel is a groundball and innings-eating machine. Per FanGraphs, his 66.8 percent groundball rate in 2017 was a career-best. Keuchel has also thrown for 200 or more innings in three of the last five seasons. Video Play Button Videos you might like However, the left-hander took a step back in 2018, with a career-low 17.5 percent strikeout rate. His 53.7 percent groundball rate was his lowest mark since his 2012 rookie season. Still, he could be a great fit in New York. Citi Field is one of the game's most pitcher-friendly parks, per ESPN's MLB Park Factors, so Keuchel's groundball abilities could be a massive asset in a place where it's difficult to hit a home run. In other words, don't expect many blowups if Keuchel takes the home mound in a Mets uniform. As of now, however, Keuchel is without a team, and the Mets press on. They face the Marlins again on Wednesday before heading home for a three-game set versus the Washington Nationals.<doc-sep>HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 16: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros reacts in the third inning as a play is reviewed against the Boston Red Sox during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) New York Mets rumors season should have ended weeks ago. However, with Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel still available, the team has reportedly checked in with both. The 2019 MLB season is underway and throughout the winter it didn’t look like the New York Mets had a puncher’s chance or even much interest in signing free agents Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel. Once they landed Edwin Diaz in the trades with the Seattle Mariners, Kimbrel seemed unlikely. Keuchel always looked like a potential upgrade over Jason Vargas, but there never seemed to be an abundance of Mets rumors to suggest they were considering him. Three games into the MLB season, these two are still jobless. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, recent Mets rumors have indicated the team has at least checked in on them. Was it a “hey buddy, how ya doing?” type of check-in or something more serious? Super-agent Scott Boras doesn’t have a good relationship with the Mets or their current general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen. Then again, he’s at the mercy of any team with an opening. Boras didn’t have a spectacular offseason. Bryce Harper’s deal, while record-setting at the time, didn’t compare to what Mike Trout will earn from the Los Angeles Angels. In fact, his AAV is less than Yoenis Cespedes and Jacob deGrom. Worse, though, is the fact that his former Cy Young-winning client and one of baseball’s elite closers are free agents with the season already a full series in. Offseason Mets rumors linked them to a variety of players. From a potential blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Indians to every catcher and center fielder in the free agent market, the blue and orange baseball squad seemed prepared to turn over every stone in order to build a contender. They certainly did improve the roster. Could it be possible that they bolster it even more? Vargas will make his Mets’ debut on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins down in South Florida. I still have a hard time believing they will move on from him unless his performance in 2019 warrants it. They do have more options in the minor leagues than they did last year. None compare to what Keuchel would bring the Mets. Kimbrel is also an interesting match for the Mets considering the presence of Diaz. You could easily argue the one currently wear a Mets’ uniform is the superior closer. Kimbrel would need to accept a lesser role as a setup man. Considering the Milwaukee Brewers just lost their closer Corey Knebel to Tommy John Surgery and they were already linked to Kimbrel, I think he’s best for Beer Country. Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team! Write for us! I thought for sure Mets rumors were dead for at least a couple of months. An offseason like none before has extended the Hot Stove into the regular season. Keuchel and Kimbrel have to find homes at some point. If the Mets are the only ones calling, they may soon need to answer.<doc-sep>The San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers have each been in contact with free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Padres are apparently involved in a continuing dialogue with the former All-Star after already being linked to the southpaw this offseason, though they have not been willing to meet his asking price. The fit is obvious, as San Diego has a fairly inexperienced rotation with Nick Margevicius and Chris Paddack each making their MLB debuts over the weekend. The Brewers also remain connected to reliever Craig Kimbrel, and he's seen as the priority over Keuchel with Milwaukee's bullpen reeling from Corey Knebel's season-ending Tommy John surgery. While the Mets have been keeping tabs on both Keuchel and Kimbrel, the club is downplaying its interest in both pitchers, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Currently, the Mets rotation is fairly crowded with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, and Jason Vargas in place. Keuchel rejected a $17.9-million qualifying offer after the 2018 season. If he doesn't sign a new deal before the amateur draft in June, his new team will not have to relinquish a draft pick as compensation. Even though Keuchel missed training camp and remains unsigned into the season's early days, he carries a professional pedigree with the 2015 Cy Young award on his resume. For his career, he's 76-63 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 1,189 1/3 innings - all with the Houston Astros.<doc-sep>
One weekend of the 2019 MLB season is in the books, and two of the best free agent pitchers remain unsigned. Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are still looking for jobs, though a few teams are interested in acquiring the veterans. Ken Rosenthal reported for The Athletic Sunday that the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets have all been in touch with both Keuchel and Kimbrel. Some teams are probably just doing their due diligence, but one stands out as a real player in free agency. According to Rosenthal, San Diego is engaging in serious discussions with Keuchel. Jon Morosi noted on MLB Network Monday that the Padres appear to be the most aggressive team when it comes to the starting pitcher. San Diego has been trying hard to upgrade their rotation with an established starter. Rosenthal reported that the team recently had trade discussions about Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman. Neither of those pitchers has won a Cy Young award, which Keuchel has, and the left-hander he would bring a veteran presence to a very young San Diego rotation. A Mets source downplayed the Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel talk, cautioning that many teams are keeping regular tabs on those two. The Mets' interest does not appear to be hot or even warm at this point, though they'll keep checking in for as long as those two remain unsigned. — Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 31, 2019 A source says Mets have checked in on Dallas Keuchel & Craig Kimbrel recently, as @Ken_Rosenthal & @dennistlin said, standard procedure to see if their prices have dropped as calendar turns to April. No traction there & no serious signs Mets will sign either, the source says. — Tim Healey (@timbhealey) March 31, 2019 It sounds like the Mets are a long shot to sign either Keuchel or Kimbrel. New York already potentially has one of the best rotations in baseball with reigning NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom leading the way. There are high expectations for both Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler. The Mets upgraded the bullpen in the offseason by trading for closer Edwin Diaz and bringing back reliever Jeurys Familia. Kimbrel is more likely to join a team that needs a closer. Milwaukee has much more of a need for Kimbrel in the wake of the news that closer Corey Knebel will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. The Brewers plan to contend this season after reaching Game 7 of the NLCS in 2018. They have an early lead in the NL Central with reigning MVP Christian Yelich hitting a home run in each of the first four games to start the season. Keuchel and Kimbrel both sought $100 million contracts this offseason. Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images