Moves to make the New York Mets more competitive for next season are beginning to bear fruit, with the Citi Field side securing a big-money deal to snap up Max Scherzer on a massive contract.

Mets owner Steve Cohen is still looking to replace Luis Rojas as manager but has brought in Billy Eppler to start the process of rebuilding following a run of five seasons without making it to the postseason. One by one they continue to interview candidates and according to some, Bob Geren and Buck Showalter are looking like favorites.

The deal to bring in star pitcher Scherzer will cost $43.3m a year, which is a record in the game, and the $130m contract is seemingly very steep for a player aged 37 though it’s a move that will give the Mets a great deal in the short to medium-term. For a win-now team – which is how the Mets view themselves  – Scherzer was the best option available to them.

The move will no doubt push them among the MLB best bets for the World Series next season, where currently the Mets are sitting at (+1300). Quite the transformation from where they sat even a month ago.

Cohen has been at the helm for just over a year, and he made a few grandiose promises that he now appears to be delivering on.  Scherzer arguably just had his best season, striking out 236 batters and finishing in the top three for the Cy Young award, a prize he’s won three times previously.

There are injury concerns over Scherzer, who suffered from fatigue as the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the home stretch last season. But the Mets hierarchy are convinced his health is sound but will closely monitor him just the same.

As well as bringing in Scherzer, Cohen has spent over $120m on Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar, and there are signs he’s not done yet.

Among those three, Canha is the wild card and the most intriguing to me. Away from the Oakland Coliseum where he batted just .206, Canha put up some solid numbers on the road.

In 73 home games he had 16 extra-base hits with 23 RBIs and a .666 OPS. However, in 68 games on the road Canha connected for 27 XBH and 38 RBI with 51 runs scored and a .827 OPS. His wRC+ disparity was even more stark, 99 vs 132.

Additionally, I’m encouraged by some of his situational metrics. With the bases empty he’s a .198 hitter, but with men on base he batted .287 and  with runners in scoring position he impressed with a .298 average and .408 OBP.

Canha does his best work when he pulls the ball and I believe Citi Field will help him produce his best season yet.

Meanwhile, the Mets continue to search for a new manager, with some sources believing that the possible MLB shutdown could come to their aid. That would give Eppler time to find an adequate successor to Rojas, who lasted 18 months in the post.

On the search, Eppler has made it clear he’s looking for the right man for the job and won’t be rushed into a decision;

“I’d love to find somebody that checks every single box and is great in all areas,”

“That’s a process that I’m going to start this afternoon. I have a little bit of my own feeling on that, but I’d rather hold back on giving exactly what that criteria is at this moment in time because I want to have the group engaged. And get a sense of, do you value, for example, tactical in-game management as your primary criteria or primary element? Do you value analytic in-game probabilistic thinking as your No. 1 criteria? Or your ability to connect with the media and fan base, obviously that’s critical, and clubhouse culture.”

One imagines that the search for the right man will be boosted by the presence of Scherzer on the mound and the clear intentions and bankroll laid down by Cohen.

Eppler should be wrapping up his first round of interviews by Friday and at that point we should have a better indication of who has emerged as the clear favorite.