With 2020 MLB season still in flux due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mets are looking like one of the teams that will be impacted the most by a shortened or cancelled season. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen gambled the farm in hopes of a successful 2020 run, but the Mets might not get the big payoff that they wanted.
Joel Sherman of the NY Post points out that after trading Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson, the Mets needed strong 2020 campaigns from Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and Marcus Stroman to compensate for the high costs of those deals.
“The trade with the Mariners, already looking disastrous with Kelenic growing into a top prospect while Cano and Diaz faltered last year, can only be revived if the Mets receive a lot out of Cano and Diaz. As one NL executive said of what missing games does to that Mets’ trade: “It takes an egregious screwup and makes it worse.”
While Cano played better in September (.856 OPS), it’s difficult to imagine his numbers returning to his prime levels, especially if the season is cancelled. The 37-year-old Cano regressed with a .256/.307/.428 batting line last year, and he will be owed $24M per year until 2023.
It will also be disappointing to not have a full year from Stroman after trading both Kay and Woods Richardson. Stroman recorded a 4-2 record with 3.77 ERA in 11 starts with the Mets last season, but the allure of the deal was having Stroman for the entirety of 2020.
Sherman observes that since Noah Syndergaard will likely miss 12-18 months recovering from Tommy John, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz are the only healthy starters locked up for 2021. DeGrom will be 32-years-old for opening day next year, so Sherman notes that the Mets could be losing one of his prime seasons.
While Sherman acknowledges that other teams like Dodgers will also be hurt, Los Angeles has an elite roster with a better financial situation to soften the blow. Even though they only have Mookie Betts for one year, they were still projected to win the NL West without the former AL MVP. Meanwhile, the Mets have a lower budget, in addition to a weakened minor league system.
“Their track record is not wanting to spend even in good times,” one personnel head told Sherman.
While it’s exciting to make big splashes, many of Van Wagenen’s trades placed the team in a precarious long-term situation. Even if the 2020 season was not on hold, the Mets needed a creative plan for 2021 and beyond. Steve Cohen’s deal to purchase the team would have helped tremendously, but the Mets and the Wilpons will have to accept their current situation, which has been made more challenging in these troubling and uncertain times.
