Mets Rumors: Masahiro Tanaka Could Be Fit If He Leaves Yankees in Free Agency

The New York Mets could be interested in signing free-agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, per Dan Martin of the New York Post.

"At least some people outside the organization believe Masahiro Tanaka could be a fit if he leaves the Yankees," Martin wrote.

Steve Cohen is the Mets' new majority owner, and he recently cleaned house in the front office. It remains to be seen how the offseason will shake out for the team, but one American League executive offered his thoughts to Martin in relation to Tanaka:

"We don't know much about what their strategy is going to be, since [Cohen] has never done this before. And we have to wait and see what they do with the rest of the front office, but I don't think you can rule them out on anything and taking a known quantity who's pitched in New York to a short-term deal I think would make sense, along with some other things."

Tanaka, 32, went 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 48.0 innings last season for the Yanks. He has gone 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA during a career that has also featured two All-Star Game appearances.

Cohen told reporters that he intends for the Mets to act like a "major-market team," per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"When we need to fill a gap, we'll fill it," Cohen said. "It might be through a free agent. It might be through a trade.

"You build champions. You don't buy them. This is a major-market team. It should have a budget commensurate with that."

The Mets have serious question marks in the starting rotation. Two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman should, on, paper, form an excellent trio to lead the starting pitchers, but the identities of the fourth and fifth starters are up in the air.

Tanaka could help fill a gap. Although he struggled during the 2020 postseason, the right-hander has typically excelled in the postseason, allowing just seven earned runs in 41 innings during the 2017-2019 playoffs.

New York is scheduled to begin its season on April 1 at the Washington Nationals.