Michael Baron, MetsBlog.com:

The Mets are unlikely to replace the 233 innings R.A. Dickey gave them last year from one individual. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t come up with the innings between a new face and added contributions from the holdovers (and potential internal arms) in the rotation.

In regards to Saunders, a three-year commitment might not be a good fit considering what is coming up through the organization in that timeframe. But if those demands come down, he could be a guy who can help find the innings the Mets seek. He isn’t going to “wow” anyone with his stuff, but he’s proven to be a durable and steady left handed pitcher over the course of his career, although he did deal with a shoulder problem last year which caused him to miss a month. If he had stayed healthy, he could have easily thrown 200 or more innings last season. He usually sits in the upper 80s to low 90s with his fastball and off-sets that with a good tailing change-up. He pitches to contact and gives up a lot of home runs, but pitching in more pitcher-friendly parks – such as Citi Field and the rest of the parks in the NL East – would probably reduce that number.