The New York Mets have spent an arm and a leg this off-season. The biggest splash, of course, is Juan Soto. But there was not much of the noise after that. Fans wonder why an abrupt stop in signing more superstars. And it seems Steve Cohen isn’t playing the Los Angeles Dodgers game but rather taking the longer route to success—making calculated decisions. Now another major decision is on the horizon about what they will do about their Max Scherzer and maybe a potential comeback to New York.

There is news that a potential reunion with the three-time Cy Young winner is in the rounds. He, after all, is a veteran and one of the proven dominant pitchers. However, not all is green and great when it comes to him. A major issue is his age. This off-season, teams have not given deals to players in their thirties, and he is in his forties. Recently at The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo both hesitated on a reunion calling it a bad idea. Instead, getting Jack Flaherty seemed wise.

Is Jack Flaherty a better fit for the New York Mets?

Now Rogers isn’t convinced of Scherzer at this point in his career. For Conner Rogers, in the New York Mets lineup, Scherz would be more of a depth addition than a key contributor. “You’re not asking him to come in and be a hero or the number one guy,” mentions Conner. He also questions where Scherzer even fits right now in the lineup. Even Joe DeMayo echoes the same sentiment, noting that Scherzer’s inability to perform, plus his age, are major factors one can’t ignore.

DeMayo said, “To me, Scherzer wouldn’t move the needle much in the rotation, and frankly, I’d probably be more willing to run with what the Mets got than bring him in knowing that there are guys like Brandon Sprout and Blade Tidwell that are at the Triple-A level that could push for jobs in rotation at some point this year.” However, the New York Mets, according to DeMayo, can spend somewhere else, on someone younger.

DeMayo pitches in that the Mets could look into Jack Flaherty instead of Max Scherzer. “If you’re willing to invest something in that range on a starting pitcher, why not just go try to sign Jack Flaherty or trade for Dylan Cease?”

Though Flaherty has injury issues, he could still provide a higher ceiling for the New York Mets in the long run. And if the New York Mets want, they should strike now for him, because Flaherty just had another door close on him.

The Red Sox door for Jack Flaherty is closed!

The Boston Red Sox have been busy making splashes this off-season like they said they would. With new key additions, they will have a probable five-man rotation, once everyone is fully healthy. Now Jack Flaherty, still a free agent, believes he might have been part of the club had Boston not made some bold moves on the market.

In a candid conversation on Foul Territory, he discussed the White Sox’s decision to trade Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox. “Kudos to the Red Sox for going and getting him. That takes a spot away from where I could’ve potentially gone.” And his frustrations are understandable; after all, his journey has been topsy-turvy for a while now.

Flaherty was a former first-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014. He had a great MLB journey, and he debuted in 2017. He got traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2023 and then signed a one-year deal with the Tigers last season. Then he received a trade again to the Dodgers midway. There he shone and played a key role in their World Series run.

In the 28 starts for both teams, he posted a 3.17 ERA and 10.8 K/9 rate in 162 innings. Now the projected deal for him, according to Spotrac, is $63.17 million this offseason. The Boston Red Sox have added Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval and got Lucas Giolito back from injury too, so the team is packed and has no room for him. Right now, the New York Mets Mets can be the potential spot.

That is also in case they want to spend as much on Flaherty. Some teams have shied away like the New York Yankees because of a back issue with Flaherty. So it remains to be seen. Where do you think he will end up?