Have you ever had $ 105 million burning a hole in your pocket?
Then you can relate to the Mets.
OK, that’s a slightly misinterpretation of what went down on Friday. What is clear, however, is that Steve Cohen still has money to spend on his Mets for 2021 and beyond after trying hard for Trevor Bauer, the reigning National Young Cy Young Award winner, to offer $ 105 million and see how he opting for a lower bid ($ 102 million) from his hometown Dodgers.
Here are the most viable and sensible options the Mets have left to invest in their club:
1. Start pitching
At the moment, the turn of the Mets opening day consists of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi, with Noah Syndergaard aiming to return in the middle of the Tommy John operation. If you are competing to match teams from a 60-match 2020 season to the standard 162 matches (they hope), more depth will be needed. The starting team market moved the least position during the off-season. Among those still available are Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker.
2. Sentrumveld
It will be hairy if the Mets import a central fielder superior to Brandon Nimmo and the National League does not implement the designated hit, as you will move Nimmo from midfield to left field, Dom Smith from left field to first base and Pete Alonso from first basis to … the bank? It is clear that pelotons would come into play. Common sense says, however, that the DH will return to the NL this year, and how well would free agent Jackie Bradley Jr. or does the Brewers’ Lorenzo Cain, a potential Milwaukee salary drop, appear in the middle of Citi Field’s outfield?
3. Third basis
JD Davis, who defeated the Mets in arbitration on Friday (he will earn $ 2.1 million), remains a defensive commitment on the hot corner. Can Sandy Alderson convince his favorite bug, Justin Turner (who is still a free agent) to return to Queens? The chance for Kris Bryant of the Cubs seems less likely.
4. Extensions
Two of the Mets’ best players, the homemade Michael Conforto and recently Francisco Lindor, are in their running years. Lindor expressed an openness to circumvent free agencies as long as they are trained in early spring. A package of more than $ 300 million is possible. Conforto, whose agent Scott Boras usually takes his clients to a free agency, is likely to need more than $ 100 million to stay.