Report: Mets interested in Cobb, Lynn if prices fall

The slow offseason may be playing into the New York Mets' hands.

As many free agents remain unsigned with spring training right around the corner, the Mets are eyeing the services of pitchers Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn if their asking prices fall, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Cobb has been linked to many teams this offseason, and said at one point that he's talked seriously with 15 different suitors. Reports in early January indicated he'd rejected a three-year, $42-million contract from the Chicago Cubs.

The market for Lynn hasn't seemed as robust, but at least four teams reportedly showed interest in the former St. Louis Cardinals workhorse in late January.

Picking up some insurance for a rotation that was depleted by injuries to Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, and others in 2017 could take the pressure off new manager Mickey Callaway. It could also bring his hypothetical six-man rotation to fruition.

"We may go to a six-man rotation at some point to give guys a break when we can," Callaway told the New York Post's Kevin Kernan. "I pitched over in Asia, and when you start pitching every sixth day, it is a hundred times easier. It really is. I think we have enough depth to make those adjustments."

Both Cobb and Lynn have undergone Tommy John surgery in recent years. Cobb missed 2015 and most of 2016 after going under the knife while Lynn sat out 2016 before making 33 starts in what looks to be his final year with the Cardinals.