A week before the lockout, which has frozen baseball transactions with no sign of a resolution, the Mets had just lost out on top pitching target Steven Matz, who chose St Louis over a return to New York. Mets COO Steve Cohen took to Twitter, imploring his frustration at Matz’s agent Rob Martin for ‘unprofessional behaviour’. What Mets fans didn’t realise at the time was that Martin had lit a fire underneath Cohen. Over the next seven days, the Mets COO committed over $200m on four players who significantly improve the outlook of the 2022 roster as the Mets look to win the World Series for the first time in 36 years.
Embed from Getty ImagesMax Scherzer 3 years $130m (Opt-out after year 2)
The New York Mets now have the best 1-2 punch in recent baseball history. Max Scherzer joins New York on a record-breaking AAV deal for the next three years. At age 36, Scherzer pitched to a career 2.46 ERA between the Nationals and Dodgers last season, finishing third in the CY Young voting. Again age could be a concern, but Scherzer has shown no signs of decline and Mets fans should be excited to see Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer pitch every five days.
Starling Marte – 4 years $78m
Marte, a Mets target since his days in Pittsburgh, finally makes his way over to New York, coming off the best offensive season of his career. Marte slashed an impressive .310/.383/.458 with a .841 OPS between Miami and Oakland. At age 32, Marte also stole 47 bases, a career-high. While he didn’t light up the HR and RBI categories, it’s essential to understand that Marte hits for fun.
The Mets have finally found their natural CF. Brandon Nimmo, who has been an excellent servant out of his natural position, will return to the corner outfield, where defensively he is strongest. Marte’s .990 FLD% at CF and 5 OOA is brilliant, but there is always a concern for a decline with his age.
Mark Canha 2 years $26.5m (Club option for 3rd year)
In 2021, Canha clubbed 17 home runs, driving in 61 runs slashing .231/.358 /.387 with a .746 OPS. The 32-year-old has averaged 20 home runs in all three of his last full seasons. His versatility in the outfield will be an asset for the Mets in 2022. He can play all three positions well and even play 1B, posting a .988 FLD% and 2 OOA amongst the OF is solid.
Eduardo Escobar 2 years $20m
The veteran has had a solid MLB career and has always been an offensive asset. His best season came in 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he slugged 35 home runs and drove in 115 runs. In 2021 between Arizona and Milwaukee, Escobar slashed .253/.314/.472 with 28 home runs. Escobar’s weakness is fielding, but he plays solid second base. We will most likely see him at 3B, meaning there could be a trade for J.D. Davis is in the works.
Photo by Michael Zarrilli/Getty Images
Alex is the Mets’ correspondent for Bat Flips and Nerds. Follow him on Twitter @AlexWorth17