Shorthanded Mets See Stroman Opt Out; NL East Odds Fall to +420

• New York Mets starter Marcus Stroman has opted out of the 2020 season
• The Mets are currently last in the National League East standings with a -22 run differential
• With the Mets pitching rotation really struggling, it will be hard for them to turn things around in a shortened season

The New York Mets are currently in last place in the National League East and have just taken another blow. Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has pulled out of the 2020 season. This team is still just 3.5 games out of first. Can they get off the mat and make a serious run or is their season about to be put on life support?

NL East Divisional Odds 2020

Odds as of Aug. 11, 2020.

Stroman Opts Out

The Mets had already lost starter Noah Syndergaard for the season, so they were hoping to get a boost in their rotation with the return of Stroman. He had been recovering from a torn left calf muscle and spent just enough time on the injured list to qualify for free agency at the end of the season.

This is a big blow for a rotation that is mostly in shambles right now. The team is 25th in WHIP (1.38) and 26th in team ERA (5.28). They are getting hit hard as they’ve allowed the fourth-most home runs in the majors. They could have really used a quality arm in Stroman as, outside of two-time Cy Young-winner Jacob deGrom, their rotation has been awful.

Originally, the hope was that guys like Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha would have small roles at the back end of the rotation. Instead, both are starting every fifth day because of the shortage of arms. Both have ERAs above 6.43 while Steven Matz, who the team had higher hopes for, has an ERA of 8.20.

This pitching staff is a complete disaster right now and it’s hard to expect them to turn things around.

Mets Offense Just Can’t Carry The Weight

The Mets are actually doing OK at the plate, sitting second in on-base percentage and fourth in team batting average, but it’s not going to be enough if the pitching doesn’t improve. They are still just 14th in OPS and 15th in terms of run scored. Fans in New York know better than to count on anything from Yoenis Cespedes, but still, having him leave wasn’t exactly a boost to morale.

NL East Is Competitive

Maybe in a weaker division the Mets might have a shot but the NL East is hyper- competitive this year. The Miami Marlins have only played 10 games so far but, at 7-3, they’re actually in first place based on winning percentage. The Atlanta Braves are right there with them at 11-7.

Even though the Philadelphia Phillies, who are 5-6, and Washington Nationals, who are 5-7, aren’t playing their best right now, both teams have the talent to turn it around. With the Mets, it’s hard to see what that catalyst will be. They’re a bad team at the moment with little reason to expect a drastic improvement.

What’s the Best Bet?

At this point, I’d be avoiding all Mets futures – especially their NL East odds. This is a team that is a complete mess. With a rotation of DeGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, Stroman and insert-mediocre-fifth-starter, this team seemed to have some sleeper potential.

But Syndergaard and Stroman are gone, and the rest of the rotation – outside of DeGrom – is pitching poorly. Their -22 run differential is the worst in the division and the fifth-worst in the National League. Given that the season is so short, don’t expect this team to turn it around and don’t bet on them to win anything.