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The Mets need a starting pitcher or two this winter, and they're not ruling out bringing back Mike Pelfrey, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The team isn't actively pursuing Pelfrey at the moment, but it makes sense that he's on their seemingly long list of back-of-the-rotation starting pitchers.
Drafted and developed by the Mets, Pelfrey put up a 4.36 ERA and 92 ERA+ over seven season with the Mets. He had Tommy John surgery early in the 2012 season, missed the rest of the year, and returned early in the 2013 season with the Minnesota Twins. A couple weeks back, I wrote a full profile of Pelfrey.
Mets fans might cringe at the thought of a Pelfrey reunion, but he had a very Pelfrey-esque season in Minnesota this year. With a 5.19 ERA and 3.99 FIP, he was worth 2.1 fWAR. His ERA has fluctuated throughout his major league career, but his strikeout, walk, and home run rates have always been pretty consistent. Given the inflated ERA this year, especially playing for a team with a pitcher's park, perhaps he'll be a good value signing this winter.