Validating what I’ve been saying almost all year long, a team insider told Adam Rubin of ESPN that the New York Mets are not expected to vigorously pursue any free agents with draft-pick compensation attached — whether the pick is protected or not.
This nullifies any concern over the protected pick as the Mets will hold a second round pick in the same regard as a first round pick.
This wipes out virtually all of the top names in free agency, which I never believed they would pursue anyway.
The same source told Rubin that the lone exception is Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. But the Mets will not give him more than what Michael Bourn got last offseason. The Indians signed Bourn to a four year, $48 million deal.
I think that’s hilarious if they think they have any chance at Choo who will have about 8-10 teams chasing him this Winter assuming he doesn’t re-sign with the Reds.
This is why I kept telling everyone not to buy into the whole “we’re gonna spend this offseason” murmurings from Sandy Alderson and the Wilpons. They never said how much they were gonna spend. They would never admit the $50 million coming of the books would be reinvested in the team. Never.
I’d be shocked if payroll is more than $89 million next season.
