Sure, the Mets had already signed two pitchers named Trevor (albeit not the one most fans want), but they made their first big splash of the Steve Cohen era on Saturday, reportedly inking catcher James McCann to a four-year deal worth $40 million.
Lucky for us, former Mets catcher Mike Piazza was a scheduled guest with Zach Gelb on WFAN Saturday afternoon, and of course, Mets free agency moves were one of the first things Zach asked Mike about.
“I’m very optimistic, and I think it’s an exciting new era for the Mets,” Piazza told Gelb. “Steve Cohen is a life-long Mets fan and a very successful businessman. Sports is not an easy business; it takes a lot of capital, and there are times when you have to go for it. You can also make a mistake with that, like the Yankees in the 1980s, so money is important but it needs to be spent in a smart way.”
So what about McCann, specifically?
“Even with all these SABRmetrics, traditionally, it’s still important to be strong up the middle, and have a great catcher. It’s a great day for the team, and I think he’ll work well with the staff,” Piazza said. “There’s no question that he has shown a lot of intestinal fortitude and come back from a lot, and that’s a good indicator about a guy. He played in Chicago, too, which is a tough market with tough fans, so I think that will transfer over.”
J.T. Realmuto may have been the biggest name of free agents behind the plate, but Piazza thinks the Mets got a good one with McCann – who fits into that vein of spending smarter, not just more.
“He’ll be a solid piece of the puzzle, and he’s going to enjoy New York,” Piazza said. “Fans have high expectations, but that’s what you want. You want to be in the fire. He probably had other opportunities, but he said, ‘I want to be in market No. 1 and be with this team in the next phase.’”
And that, Piazza notes, is a huge step, one he hopes can spur the Mets the same way his own re-signing did decades ago.
“You have to be smart, but I think the first step with McCann shows other guys that the Mets are serious,” Piazza said. “That’s what we did when I signed, and then Robin Ventura came in, and they had already traded for Al (Leiter) – it was like, ‘hey guys, let’s get on the train, because the train is moving forward.’”
So now, with McCann in the fold, what may be next? Could it be Bauer time?
“There are still some big guys out there, but you want to get guys who fit well and blend in – fans think that you can just go out and spend top dollar and things will work out, but that’s not always the case,” Piazza said. “Trevor Bauer has improved a lot and is coming off the Cy Young, obviously, and he’s a big piece, but he has to want to be here and be in the market.”
There have been thoughts that Bauer’s big personality and social media proclivities may not translate well to playing in the Big Apple, but Piazza echoed what Darryl Strawberry had told Moose and Maggie earlier in the week.
“He’s an interesting guy who loves social media and is very outspoken; you have to be yourself and he enjoys that, but the most important thing is he realizes you have to get your work done on the field,” Piazza said. “There’s going to be issues there, but my whole thing is be yourself and don’t shy away from it – because if you hit a rough spot and start to change, people will realize they can get you off your center. I think he’s smart enough to know all that, but ultimately, I don’t question his talent. It’s a question of the chemistry on the team and knowing their role.”
Listen to Piazza’s entire segment with Zach Gelb below!
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