Mets targeting former World Series champion starting pitcher?

You certainly cannot accuse David Stearns of being asleep at the wheel in his first several weeks in charge of the New York Mets front office.

Mets insider Mike Mayer of Metsmerized reported Wednesday that the Mets have shown interest in lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who is a free agent. Rodriguez is coming off an outstanding year with the Detroit Tigers where he went 13-9 with a career-low 3.30 ERA plus 143 strikeouts over 26 starts.

Starting pitching appears to be a major point of emphasis for the Mets this offseason, especially as they look to continue with the six-man rotation that debuted in 2023. The Mets also just bolstered their staff this week with the addition of a former New York Yankees All-Star.

As a member of the Boston Red Sox, Rodriguez, 30, was a World Series champion in 2018 as well as a top-six finisher in AL Cy Young voting in 2019. After missing the 2020 season due to health complications from COVID-19, Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77M deal with Detroit before the 2022 campaign but opted out of the final three years on his contract earlier this month, making him a free agent. Though the Mets might still have greater ambitions with their checkbook, the veteran Rodriguez would certainly do as a reliable third or fourth starter.