Marlins division rivals don't look like a playoff team

The hype was huge for the Miami Marlins division rivals up north: the New York Mets, when they signed new RF Juan Soto. I was expecting them to continue splurging to improve their rotation, but their signings have been surprisingly unimpressive. It's really bizarre in fact. They signed Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas for their rotation and that's as bad as it gets.

Miami Marlins division rivals are worse than in 2024.

It's very easy to see a team that just made the playoffs and made a run to the LCS, sign the top free agent and think that they must be contenders now. Juan Soto is a difference-making ballplayer, but how can a team make the playoffs with a rotation like that?! They lost 3/5 of their rotation to free agency, and the best that they could do was sign Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes?! Montas pitched to a 4.84 ERA/4.71 FIP, with 8.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 2024. He did this in 30 games and 150.2 innings pitched. That was only the third time in his 9 year career that he even went over 100 innings in a season!

Clay Holmes hasn't been a starting pitcher since 2018, when he pitched to a 6.84 ERA/5.40 FIP in 11 games and 26.1 innings pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Oh, and he also had 7.2 K/9 and 7.9 BB/9 in that time. Kodai Senga is still there. He has ace stuff, but missed almost the entire 2024 season due to injury. Paul Blackburn is still there. He pitched to a 4.66 ERA/4.63 FIP, with 7.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 14 games and 75.1 innings pitched in 2024. David Peterson impressed with a 2.90 ERA/3.67 FIP, with 7.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 21 games and 121.0 innings pitched in 2024. He has a career 4.08 ERA/4.08 FIP in 5 years however.

The New York Mets have a very shaky rotation. It's not as good as that of the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies or the New York Mets. Their bullpen is nothing special either. They may have Juan Soto, but the playoffs can't be bought with this pitching staff.