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The Mets are looking into the possibility of signing either Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The Mets will only strike a deal with either top free-agent starter “if prices fall” on them.
Cobb and Lynn have had numerous teams interested in their services.
Cobb has had interest from the Cubs, Brewers, Yankees and Rangers. Among those four, the Cubs made him a three-year, $42 million offer, but Cobb followed his agent’s advice and declined it.
Cobb, a 30-year-old righty, is coming off a season for the Rays in which he posted a 12-10 record with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 179 1⁄3 innings pitched — a career-high for him — across 29 starts. It was his first full campaign since 2014 after not having pitched a lot over the last two years. After having a 2013 season in which he went 11-3 with a 2.76 in 22 starts and a 2014 campaign in which he went 10-9 with a 2.87 ERA in 27 starts, Cobb never got to pitch in 2015 after he tore his UCL and had Tommy John surgery. Last season, he returned late in the year and went 1-2 with a 8.59 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP in 22 innings.
As for Lynn, he has drawn interest from the Nationals, Brewers, Angels, Rangers and Orioles. However, no offers have been reported as of yet after he rejected the Cardinals’ qualifying offer.
Lynn had a better stats across the board than Cobb for the most part in 2017, as he went 11-8, posted a 3.43 ERA, recorded 153 Ks and had a 1.23 WHIP in 186 1⁄3 innings pitched across 33 starts. Like Cobb, Lynn also missed a year of baseball, as he did not pitch in all of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery in November 2015.
Signing either pitcher would provide a huge boost to the Mets’ rotation. The Mets have virtual locks in the rotation with Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. After them, it depends on the health and performances of Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, Zach Wheeler and Seth Lugo, but adding a Cobb or a Lynn could help them turn around their fortunes after a dismal 70-92 season.