The Mets received face time — virtually — with another one of the top pitchers on the free-agent market.
Left-hander Carlos Rodon and Mets officials met via Zoom on Tuesday, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old Rodon is one of the most talented starters available, coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons in which he posted a 2.67 ERA with 422 strikeouts in 310 ²/₃ innings across 55 starts for the White Sox and Giants. The Scott Boras client pitched last season on a $21.5 million salary before opting out of his $22.5 million contract for 2023 and is expected to secure a multiyear deal worth more than $100 million.
The Mets are still gathering information on the top of the pitching market — which features their own free agent, Jacob deGrom, along with Justin Verlander and Rodon — as they try to determine whether to spend big to bolster their rotation alongside Max Scherzer. Last offseason, the Mets signed Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract, with the $43.3 million average annual value setting the MLB record.
DeGrom, 34, opted out of his contract after last season and could be in line for an AAV similar to, if not more than, Scherzer’s. The Mets believe the two-time Cy Young award winner wants to stay in Queens as long as there is not a significant discrepancy in offers, The Post’s Mike Puma recently reported.
But Rodon and Verlander, who turns 40 in February, could provide strong options if deGrom finds a better deal elsewhere.
The Mets also recently met with free-agent Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga, the Yu Darvish disciple who will turn 30 in January.
Either way, the Mets have at least one rotation spot to fill, if not more. Their rotation currently consists of Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco (whose $14 million option the Mets picked up this month), David Peterson and Tylor Megill. The Mets’ only big move so far this offseason has been re-signing closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract.
Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker, who both pitched well for the Mets this season, are free agents and are expected to have plenty of suitors.