Author: Frank Caggino
Editor: Brian Symons
It looked like the New York Mets had signed Trevor Bauer and would be paying him 40 million in 2021. Obviously, the Mets did not get Bauer, and since then have made two signings. equating to almost 5 million dollars. Theoretically, the Mets have 35 million to spend but, but more realistically, they would like to stay under the luxury tax and have 30 million to spend. Since Bauer went to the reigning champion Dodgers, the Mets still have more work to do to catch up to them.
With the Mets trading Steven Matz earlier in the offseason, Joey Lucchesi is the number five pitcher in the Mets rotation. While Lucchesi has some nice pitches, it is not ideal to rely on him every five days. There is a drop off from Trevor Bauer and the rest of the starting pitchers in the free-agent market. The most recent starting pitcher that the Mets have reported interest in, is Jake Arrieta.
Arrieta’s ERA has gone up every year since 2015 and he is going to turn 35 in March. It would make more sense for the Mets to go for a younger pitcher with more upside, like Taijuan Walker. No reporter has connected the Mets and Walker, which makes this pairing unlikely. Whoever the Mets sign for the rotation, it will allow them to put Lucchesi in the minor league as extra depth. The Mets have been making several depth moves recently, and will probably make more. The area that really should be addressed by the Mets, is the bullpen.
The Mets missed out on Brad Hand and signed Aaron Loup instead. As of right now, the Mets are counting on Diaz to be the pitcher he was in 2020 and not 2019. They will also be relying on players such as Jeryus Familia, Delin Betances, Brad Brach, and Miguel Castro to make significant contributions. These pitchers are not trustworthy, and a reliever like Trevor Rosenthal stands out as someone who can help the team after having a great year in 2020. The last reliever the Mets have been linked to is Jeremy Jeffress, but that was weeks ago. Another position the Mets would like to upgrade is third base.
Justin Turner’s name has popped up this week as someone the Mets are interested in, but the two sides are apart on the contract details. Turner is 36 years old and is looking for a multi-year deal. The one position the Mets do not have a top 10 offensive player according to MLB Network, is third base. Turner would certainly provide an offensive upgrade, but for how long? There are good third basemen potentially available for trade, such as Eugenio Suarez and Kris Bryant which the Mets could consider, although the asking price looks to be very high.
The Mets’ main priority should be to sign Francisco Lindor to a long-term contract and do it before Spring Training. Lindor has said he does not want to discuss an extension during the season. Depending on how much the Mets spend the rest of the offseason, they could also extend Michael Conforto. Overall, the Mets have plenty of money to spend and there are multiple ways they can do it. This team is not ready to win a World Series but is vastly improved, contrary to what others may say. The last thing the Mets can do is to wait for the trade deadline to see how this team plays with all of the new acquisitions. The Mets may have a need at the deadline that did not look like a need during the offseason, because you never know what you are going to see during a New York Mets season.
SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE
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