Kumar Rocker emerging as a potential Mets regret

The Mets didn’t sign Kumar Rocker after drafting him 10th overall in 2021 because their doctors flagged shoulder and elbow issues after reviewing medicals (though Rocker’s doctors said he’d be OK). And though Rocker did since require both shoulder and elbow surgeries, he’s emerging as a possible Rangers star. 

Rocker struck out seven in his four-inning debut after posting a 2.80 minors ERA for Texas, who shocked folks by selecting him No. 3 overall the year after the Mets passed. 

The extra pick the Mets received was used on catcher Kevin Parada, still struggling in Double-A (.663 OPS).

One fun storyline has the Nationals trying to re-sign Juan Soto. And one rival GM pointed out that it makes sense, not only because they were his original team that offered him $440M before trading him away for five top prospects, but also because the Nats have Patrick Corbin (making an astounding $35M) coming off the books, and Soto at 25 fits with their excellent, young positional nucleus. 

From here though, the Nats seem like a long shot since win-first owner Ted Lerner was replaced by budget-conscious son Mark Lerner. 

The Phillies are a serious team that could make sense. But an even better fit for them might be center fielder Cody Bellinger if he opts out (the guess now is he may not since he has $52.5M to go through 2026, plus another key opt out.) 

Like most, the Braves love Soto. But looking at their track record, they never spend huge. (They never even made a call on Shohei Ohtani.) 

Almost any team would covet a 25-year-old superstar (except the Marlins and White Sox), but if he leaves the Yankees for the NL East, the Mets would seem the more likely landing spot.