By Sam Iryami

Matt Harvey who? After his season-ending torn UCL, he is now out for the entire 2014 season. Harvey put up outstanding numbers with the Mets this past season, having a 2.27 ERA, 191 SO, and winning nine games in 178.1 innings (26 starts). To add on to these great stats, he was the starting NL pitcher in this season’s All-Star Game. As it is was first “real” major league season, he really showed what he was made of in the time that he pitched. Harvey was “lights out,” throwing on average nine and a half strikeouts per nine innings. The Met offense had to do a lot better of a job, after leaving Harvey with twelve no decisions. Now that Matt Harvey will not be pitching for the 2014 season, the Mets have to put up big stats on the other side of the game. The other option besides offense is another pitcher to fill the “Harvey” role on the ball club.

Who’s left to fill that role? Well, there’s that guy named Zach Wheeler, the number one pitching prospect last year. The rookie had an ERA of 3.42, won seven games, and had only 84 strikeouts. Evidently, his stats last year were not nearly as outstanding as Harvey’s, which ranked in the top ten of all pitchers. Is Wheeler a solid number one starting pitcher? It seems like Wheeler is the only pitcher on the Mets that has a chance to become the number one pitcher in the Mets’ starting rotation.

Jon Niese, Zach Wheeler, and Dillon Gee are solid starters for the Mets, but they are not anywhere near Harvey. On average, they have a combined 3.89 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and eight wins. In a significant less number of innings, Harvey was able to crush these numbers. Without Harvey in the rotation for the upcoming 2014 season, it leaves the Mets rotation as follows:

1-Zach Wheeler

2-Jon Niese

3-Dillon Gee

4-Jeremy Hefner (TJ)

5-Carlos Torres (FA)/Jenrry Mejia (FA)/ Daisuke Matsuzaka (FA)/ Aaron Harrang

The Mets have to rely on these pitchers in place of superstar Matt Harvey. It’s going to be hard, especially with not a top offense in the league and awful relief pitching.

This offseason, the Mets are left with a ton of cap room, being so because of the absence of Mr. Johan Santana, or should I say “No-han.” His skyrocketing $24 million is no longer a burden for the Mets. This extra cap room could now be used to acquire some top prospects, or even some all-star free agents. Jose Reyes is not a free agent, but he has shown his interest in playing for New York once again, already buying a home in Brookville, NY. He would be a great addition to the roster, adding tremendous speed and enthusiasm to the Mets’ offense. Justin Morneau, Shin-Soo Choo, Nelson Cruz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Robinson Cano are also possible free agents that the Mets could look into to boost the Mets’ offense and gain the runs they will give up in the field due to the loss of Harvey this year.

Although no one on the Mets’ roster could fill the spot of Harvey, multiple pitchers have a chance to be on the Mets. Pitchers on the market: Bartolo Colon, Masahiro Tanaka, Bronson Arroyo, and Tim Hudson. However, these pitchers may not be interested in playing in the big city or even on the Mets. The organization could definitely look into them, along with many others, to help fill the role of Harvey and add some extra experience and skill to the team as well. The Mets have to be cautious on spending when attempting to procure these great players.

Prospects are not ideal for the Mets. Since Harvey is out for next year, they need offense and pitching quick! Some pitching prospects the Mets have right now: Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero. These great players should be starting for the Mets in the near future. However, Signing some free agents or making some trades for big players might be the route the Mets want to take with all the extra cap room they have from Johan’s contract expiration.

Who do you think the Mets should be interested in this offseason? Leave comments and stay tuned to dabuzzza.com to learn about the Mets’ offseason pickups and trades. Dabuzzza is a great way to learn about many other sports besides baseball such as basketball, football, and hockey. Like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter to learn more. ______________________________________________________________

Sam Iryami is a die-hard Mets, Jets, and Knicks fan. His favorite athletes are David Wright and Carmelo Anthony. Sam is looking for a future career in business and finance.