The New York Mets entered last offseason thinking they could rebuild a pitching staff on the cheap — betting on bounce-back candidates and role conversions instead of proven arms. It was a bold idea, maybe even a creative one, but it didn’t work. By the end of the season, the rotation was held together with duct tape and call-ups.

Now, as the front office stares down another critical offseason, one thing has become clear: that approach can’t happen again. Rumors already link the Mets to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, and while that would be an expensive swing, it’s exactly the kind of move they need to reset the tone.

Still, not every experiment was a failure. Clay Holmes , a name most people associated with high-leverage relief work in the Bronx, turned out to be one of the few bright

See Full Page