PUMA, DAVIDOFF
Amazin’s add ex-Royals All-Star Vargas to bolster fragile rotation
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ fragile starting rotation became deeper Friday, if not better, with a Back to the Future type acquisition.
Jason Vargas, who pitched for the Mets more than a decade ago and emerged as an All-Star last season with the Royals, is returning to Flushing on a two-year deal worth $16 million, according to an industry source. The contract, which is “slightly” backloaded, contains a third-year club option. The deal will become official upon Vargas passing a physical. The Post reported Thursday that Vargas was firmly on the Mets’ radar.
The 35-year-old lefty went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 32 appearances last season with Kansas City, under the tutelage of new Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland. After representing the Royals in the All-Star game in 2017, Vargas cratered in the second half, pitching to a 6.38 ERA, but an industry source indicated fatigue was probably an issue: Vargas underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 and missed most of the following season.
Vargas will join Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler to give the Mets potentially six starters for five rotation spots. In addition, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Rafael Montero can all potentially start or pitch from the bullpen.
But the Mets were without Syndergaard, Harvey, Matz, Wheeler and Lugo for extended periods last season because of injuries, only underscoring the need for proven options.
“[Vargas] can pitch,” said manager Mickey Callaway, who spent the past four seasons with Vargas in the AL Central, as Indians pitching coach. “He is a guy who goes out there and does his job, a tremendous teammate and he gave us fits when we were facing him in Cleveland.”
If the Mets break camp with all their starters healthy — a huge if — Wheeler could be squeezed to the bullpen given Callaway’s reluctance to employ a six-man rotation.
“Now that they have added more off days it can be challenging to actually pitch six pitchers, because then you have guys pitching the seventh day and that’s probably too long to keep guys,” Callaway said.
Wheeler, who was shut down in August last season — after missing 2015 and 2016 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery — indicated he’s not pondering the possibility of the bullpen.
“I am just here to be a starting pitcher,” Wheeler said. “That’s what I have always been and that’s what I am here to be. When I am healthy I know I am as good as anybody out there, so that is what I am concentrating on.”
Callaway is unconcerned about a potential rotation logjam.
“I don’t think you can have too much pitching,” Callaway said. “In our case that would be wonderful. It can only help to have good, quality arms.”
Though higher-end options such as Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb were still available, general manager Sandy Alderson, according to an industry source, was against the idea of surrendering a draft pick and international bonus pool money to sign either pitcher. Such compensation would have been necessary because Lynn and Cobb received qualifying offers last offseason.
Vargas’ addition will push the Mets’ payroll beyond $150 million. He will join Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Anthony Swarzak, Jose Reyes and Adrian Gonzalez as free-agent acquisitions by the Mets this offseason, totaling $88.5 million in new free agent contracts.
Vargas was acquired by the Mets before the 2007 season, but he pitched in only two games for the club that year. The lefty missed the ensuing season with a torn labrum in his hip and was then traded to the Mariners, as part of the mega-deal that brought reliever J.J. Putz to the Mets.