In keeping with spirit of the holiday season, the Mets went shopping on Black Friday, November 26. As reported on MMO, the Mets are in agreement on a two-year contract, with an option for a third year, with infielder Eduardo Escobar. Also as reported on MMO, the Mets are in agreement with outfielder/infielder Mark Canha on two-year deal with an option for a third year.

The Mets have had a slow start to what needs to be a very busy off season, and things are just starting to heat up. However, the Mets and all teams will likely see their preparations for the 2022 season come to an abrupt stop when the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, December 1.

Commissioner Rob Manfred, in an article by Jared Diamond in the Wall Street Journal, seems to be saying that a work stoppage in the off season is really not all bad. From the article:

“At the owners’ meetings in Chicago last week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred prepared fans for the storm ahead, reminding them that “an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games.” In other words, the real deadline isn’t Dec. 1, but mid-February, when pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training ahead of opening day on March 31.”

Well, that may be true, but how do we know the lockout will not last into spring training, and perhaps the regular season? We all know what happened during the last work stoppage in 1994. Further, teams will have unfinished business on December 1, especially the Mets. Players will not know where they’ll be playing next season, and the music is likely to stop, leaving all of this in limbo.

Complicating the matter is that teams and players do not know the rules of engagement for 2022 and beyond. Will there be a universal DH? What will be the threshold and percentage for the Competitive Balance Tax? Will there be arbitration, if so, at how many years of service? Will there be a salary floor that teams must meet? We are seeing a flurry of activity around baseball before the potential lockout, but the activity is obviously muted by the uncertainty. Here is Manfred from the article:

“The law is you should continue to operate as normal even during the negotiating period,” Manfred told reporters. “In free agency, that means clubs making individual decisions as to what’s best for them. So that’s what they’re doing.”

But how can they make some very important player decisions when they are not even sure what the rules of play will be, how much they can spend before incurring a penalty, and how their rosters need to be prepared?

Where Does This Leave The Mets?

Teams with significant roster needs (such as the Mets) will be highly impacted by a lockout. The Mets may move to sign some players before Tuesday at midnight (they’re rumored to be in on Javier Báez, Starling Marte, and possibly Kevin Gausman, among others), but they will not be able to address all of their needs. If the lockout extends into or beyond February, there likely will be a short window to make moves before the beginning of spring training.

The Mets are in need of a manager (which is a need they can address during a lockout), starting pitching, bullpen depth (particularly left-handed with the departure of Aaron Loop), and they have decisions to make at third base, second base, and in the outfield. That’s a tall order under any circumstances. It’s even taller given the potential work stoppage.

Diamond sums it up well:

“A winter lockout would freeze all transactions, which would prompt a mad rush on available talent whenever normalcy resumes. Since the new CBA could change the rules that govern the sport’s economics, it would’ve been easy for clubs to wait and assess the reshaped landscape before committing to free agents.”

Expect activity across MLB before December 2. However, not all free agents will sign, and not all rosters will be set, or close to set, for the start of spring training. When the music begins again, the Mets will need to be fast and agile to fill their remaining needs. Just how far they will have to go will depend on how much they can get done in the next four days.