The Mets are expected to be active in free agency this winter, but with one major caveat. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and confirmed by SNY’s Joe DeMayo, New York will be limiting its search to free agents who did not receive the qualifying offer. That would, in theory, take them out of the running for a number of big names including All-Stars Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Freddie Freeman, Trevor Story, Marcus Semien, Nick Castellanos and this year’s American League Cy Young recipient, Robbie Ray.
Per MLB rules, by signing a player who received the one-year qualifying offer (this year’s QO was for $18.4 million), that team would forfeit its second pick in next year’s MLB Draft. Of course, this only applies to players who switch teams. For instance, the Braves would keep their pick if Freeman, who declined his qualifying offer (only 11 players have ever accepted it), re-signs.
In this scenario, the Mets’ first selection (10th overall), which they received as compensation for not signing 2021 first-round pick Kumar Rocker, would be protected, but their next pick at 14 would not be. While fans might be frustrated to see the Mets bow out of the Seager and Correa sweepstakes, New York will still have plenty of options with Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Starling Marte, Kris Bryant, Kenley Jansen, Kevin Gausman, Jon Gray, Carlos Rodon, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber among free agents who either didn’t receive the qualifying offer or weren’t eligible for it. Marcus Stroman and Javier Baez, neither of whom were eligible for the QO (Baez because he only spent half the year in Queens and Stroman because he got it last offseason), are also fair game.
When he accepted the job last week, GM Billy Eppler knew he’d face a difficult balancing act, trying to find an agreeable middle ground between “win now” and building for the future. The Mets have deficiencies that need to be addressed—mainly pitching and outfield depth—but not at the expense of their farm system, which ranked among the league’s worst this past season (22nd out of 30 teams, per MLB.com).
This summer’s Rocker fiasco, though completely avoidable, provided the Mets a rare opportunity to double-dip with two first-round picks in the upcoming draft. And while an immediate difference-maker like Correa would be, to most people, far more valuable than the 14th overall pick (which, at the end of the day, is just a lottery ticket), you can understand Eppler’s dilemma. If the Mets can have their cake and eat it too, signing a non-QO player like Marte or Bryant without sacrificing precious draft capital, why wouldn’t they?
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