Amid a hot start, the New York Mets have been dealt a bad hand. On May 19, the team announced starting pitcher Max Scherzer will be out for six to eight weeks with an oblique strain. 

With reinforcements already spent replacing Jacob deGrom, the team and fans need to examine candidates to fill the Scherzer-sized hole internally and externally. 

The most logical option to replace Scherzer is already in the Mets bullpen. Pitcher Trevor Williams has starting experience with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and most recently with the Mets. 

As a current member of the roster, New York wouldn’t have to make another move to open a spot for Williams. Instead, they can reserve that space for another reliever to fill the vacated slot in the bullpen. Williams has already flashed signs of stability this season in the rotation, allowing four hits, and striking out six Cardinals hitters over four innings of work during the May 17 game. 

However, Williams followed his strong start against St. Louis with a poor start against the Colorado Rockies. Despite allowing three hits, the 30-year-old coughed up four runs to the Rockies offense in four innings to increase his earned run average to 5.21. 

As a starter, Williams wears a 7.21 ERA while opposing hitters have a .318 batting average. When working out of the bullpen, the reliever only has a 3.00 ERA and holds opposing batters to a .250 average. While his numbers as a starter are comprised of three starts, they still signal Williams may work best out of the bullpen than in the rotation. 

If the Mets are determined to keep Williams in the bullpen and elevate from within, Thomas Szapucki could get the nod. 

Fans will remember Szapucki as he's already spent time in the big leagues. That time, however, was short-lived. In his lone appearance with the Mets last season, he allowed six runs, seven hits, two of which were home runs, and three walks in 3.2 innings of relief. 

So far, the southpaw has rebounded nicely in Triple-AAA Syracuse with a 3.00 ERA through six starts and has become the club’s best starter. Yet that statement is a tad loaded as no other pitcher with four or more starts has a 4.75 ERA or better. 

Given Szapucki’s shaky outing last season and room for growth, it’s far more likely he sticks in Syracuse as an emergency option should another injury arise. 

Yet if the Mets seek not just to replace Scherzer’s starts but his production, their best bet is Cincinnati Reds ace, Luis Castillo.

What makes this trade plausible is both sides have the motivation to make a deal. With internal options lacking, the Mets need something more to achieve their aspirations, and Castillo could fit the bill. 

As for the Reds, they’ve already begun a massive rebuild. Currently, the club is 12-28, in large part due to the team’s willingness to trade key players and watch as others signed elsewhere last winter. With Castillo entering his final year of arbitration this offseason, his time in Cincinnati is numbered.  

That said, there is no guarantee the Reds left-hander can replace Scherzer’s production. Castillo carried a 4.65 ERA in the first half of last season and has gotten off to a similar start in 2022 with a 5.59 ERA in his two starts. 

Regardless, the best of Castillo helped carry Cincy back to the playoffs in 2020. If shipped to Queens, Castillo could accomplish the same feat with the Mets this season. 

When surveying other teams motivated to sell, Frankie Montas from the Oakland A's stands out as one of the best candidates.

Like Castillo, it's incredibly likely that Montas will not be on his current team much longer. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reported in April the 29-year-old was likely to be dealt "long before" the trade deadline as Oakland continues to trade their homegrown talent. 

Unlike Castillo, the Mets already expressed interest in the right-hander. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets are one of five teams linked to Montas. With a 3.43 ERA with 260 strikeouts over his last 40 starts, it’s easy to understand why there's a competitive market. 

Even more compelling, Montas possesses two more years of team control. This could be vital with Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker possibly hitting free agency this winter and the Mets devoid of 2023 talent. 

Regardless of what the Mets choose to do, they’ll have to hope they’re only replacing Scherzer for two months rather than the rest of the year.