For the past two years, signing the Mets’ young pitchers to long-term contracts seemed a paramount issue. Whom should they sign first, and for how much? Could they afford to sign two? In their wildest dreams, could they keep them all?
Last winter, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said signing one or two of his young starting pitchers to long-term extensions was something they were considering and that it was very doable. “I think it could happen,” he said.
“When you’re talking about long-term deals with younger players, it needs to be a mutual interest in doing so, and typically we find out about that mutual interest a little bit later, closer to spring training or even spring training,” Alderson said. “We’ll see if that happens.”
Spring Training came and went. Now, with four pitchers coming off surgery, such talk now is but a whisper. We’re not hearing too much these days about extending Matt Harvey – who had shoulder surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome – and could bolt after the 2018 season for the Yankees or anybody else for that matter.
Steven Matz had surgery to repair bone spurs in his left elbow, and Jacob deGrom, who had Tommy John surgery in 2010 and missed the 2011 season, is recovering from a second surgery to treat a nerve issue in his elbow. Then there is Zack Wheeler, who had Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2015 and was supposed to ready by July, he has now missed two seasons and nobody can say for sure when we will see him again.
We won’t know for sure how they are until the spring, but the recovery forecast is looking good for the Mets’ surgically-repaired pitchers as team doctors are saying they should all be ready when pitchers and catchers report. Where have we heard that before?
Even so, the Mets are likely to handle them all four with kid gloves which is why they are interested in bringing back Bartolo Colon even with Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman ready, willing and able.
The Mets have seven young arms, but we’re no longer hearing talk about contract extensions. Whom should they sign first? Can they afford to sign two or three at a time? Who should they trade to plug holes elsewhere?
Do Harvey, Matz, deGrom and Wheeler have any significant trade value this offseason? Will teams risk dealing high-level prospects for damaged goods? Certainly, the Mets can’t command as much should they explore dealing one of them. From what I’ve seen of Sandy, he’s not the type that sells low.
Conventional wisdom has the Mets backing off long-term contract talks for now. While their potential might still be high, their proven production is not.
Then again, it wouldn’t hurt for the Mets to explore extensions now when their market value might not be as high as it could be in two or three years. Perhaps it’s a gamble worth considering.
