So the Mets have all the mojo right now. They have a very rich new owner in Steve Cohen, whom Mets fans hope is Santa Claus this winter. He has a solid think tank up top, with Sandy Alderson and new GM Jared Porter. And now, they have free agents, with reliever Trevor May and catcher James McCann signed to modest deals.
Now it's time to get serious.
The Mets aren't in the habit of poaching players from their big brothers in the Bronx, but they may take a firm look at DJ LeMahieu, who just won the AL batting title. Signing the hot-hitting infielder has its risks; he turns 33 next season and may want some long-term love from his next team, and word is he asked the Yanks for $100 million over five years (and the Yankees' offer is about $25 million short of his number).
Maybe the Mets step in and give LeMahieu his $100 million over four years, knowing he's not likely to remain great beyond age 36. But while signing LeMahieu is a gamble, snatching him would serve two purposes for the Mets: they would instantly have a better lineup and a Gold Glove infielder, and they would keep him from their eternal tormentors across the East River.
Then we have George Springer, another strong bat in his early 30s looking for a fat payday. MLB.com wondered if the Mets chose McCann over J.T. Realmuto so they'd have the quid to court the Houston Astros’ outfielder, who belted 95 homers and was an All-Star in three straight seasons before the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. Springer is also a beast in the postseason, with 19 homers and 38 RBI overall – including seven homers, 11 RBI, and a .339 batting average in two World Series.
Word is that Springer would command a little more than LeMahieu, up to $125 million. You can decide if getting LeMahieu and Springer is a reach for two players entering the back-nine of their careers, or if this makes the Mets an instant contender while costing them just cash, and not a cache of future core players.
The Mets could, or perhaps should, get Springer, leave LeMahieu alone, and set their tunnel vision on Trevor Bauer. While LeMahieu fills a need at second base for the suspended Robinson Cano, there are players who, through some kind of alchemy, play their best for the Yankees, and can't repeat that production elsewhere. Some call it the force of their history, their uniform, or good old Aura and Mystique.
So if the Mets bagged Springer and Bauer, they can say they had a very productive winter while pulling two pricey yet productive logs from the hot stove. Bauer is 29, just won the NL Cy Young, and has the kind of fiery mien that Mets fans would adore. Bauer would be a perfect fit into their leaky rotation that way too often suffers some doomsday injury. Imagine a starting staff with Jacob deGrom, Trevor Bauer, Noah Syndergaard, and Marcus Stroman. The Mets would likely fill out the rotation with the talented but inconsistent Steven Matz, who would be fine in the fifth spot.
And as much as stats and strategy mean to a team, it's imperative for the Mets to prove they are no longer playing in the nation's largest market while spending like they're handcuffed and stuffed into a small market. The Mets can now shed the layers of losing, typecasts and stereotypes, and the small-town coin that came to define their yearly payroll. If you remove 2020, then the Mets haven't dwelled in the Top 10 in MLB payrolls since 2011.
The Mets finally have an owner who not only can change that, but wants to. Cohen has said it would be a disappointment if the Mets didn't make the Fall Classic in three to five years. Perhaps the best way to make his wish come true is to sign two high-grade players for four or five years, and give Steve Cohen the aura of Santa Claus.
Follow Jason Keidel on Twitter: @JasonKeidel
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