By Lindsay Moran

On Tuesday, MLB Trade Rumors released their top 50 free agents list with predictions about where they will land in the 2020 season. Of this list, two free agents are predicted to sign with the Mets. There are some notable predictions in terms of players the Mets may have been eyeing earlier in the process based on their need, but will likely miss out on.

Mets Predictions

Craig Stammen – Mets.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Mets will sign right-hander Craig Stammen to a two-year, $10MM deal. The former-starter posted a 3.29 ERA over 82 innings with the Padres in 2019. Since 2017, Stammen has posted a 3.06 ERA over 241 1/3 innings. He also earned a 50.6 percent ground-ball rate since then. Although he turns 36 ahead of spring training, Stammen could provide bullpen help for a Mets bullpen that ranked towards the bottom of the league.

Ivan Nova – Mets

Right-handed starter Ivan Nova is predicted to sign on with the team for one year, at $6MM. The right-hander has the third-best walk rate over his last four seasons, at 5%. He posted a 4.72 ERA over 187 innings in the 2019 season. Although it’s noted that he struggles with striking out hitters, he offers an inexpensive option for support, and demonstrates potential as a back-of-the-rotation pitcher.

Starters

Gerrit Cole – Angels
Cole, who is coming off an impressive 2019 season, is expected to sign an eight-year deal with the Angels at $256MM. In 2019, he led the American League with a 2.50 ERA, and threw a record 326 strikeouts. The Nationals, Dodgers, Yankees, White Sox, Twins, Phillies, Rangers, and Cubs are among the teams likely to pursue Cole in the offseason.

Stephen Strasburg – Nationals

Strasburg is expected to stay with the World Series champion Nationals on a six-year, $180MM deal. The World Series MVP posted a 3.32 ERA in the regular season with an 18-6 record for 2019. It’s presumed that teams who go after the likes of Cole will also pursue Strasburg, including the Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, and Cubs, to name a few. The Padres may also pursue Strasburg, as he was born and raised a Padres fan in San Diego.

Zack Wheeler – Phillies
Wheeler is predicted to sign a five-year deal with the Phillies at $100MM. Wheeler put up a 3.96 ERA in the 2019 season, but his career-best walk rate will put make him a target for many teams for the 2020 season. His impressive fastball averages at 96.7 mph, one of the fastest in the game. Although the Mets gave him a qualifying offer, it’s likely he won’t end up with the team. Teams like the Astros, Phillies, Nationals, Braves, and Dodgers are among those who may also be interested in Wheeler.

Madison Bumgarner – Twins
Bumgarner is expected to sign a four-year, $72MM deal with the Twins. Over 100 postseason innings, the ace holds a 2.11 ERA. At 30 years old, the southpaw likely has a good amount of successful years still ahead of him. Teams who have a need for starting pitching may find him comparable to Wheeler. This means the Mets may also eye him as an option for starting pitching, as he comes with a much smaller price tag than the likes of breakout pitchers like Cole.

Relievers

Will Smith – Twins

Lefty reliever Will Smith is expected to sign a three-year, $42MM deal with the Twins, but the Mets are among the teams who will likely pursue him. Smith has proven to be a key cog in the bullpen, posting a 6-0 record for the season and a 2.76 ERA. He could serve as the bullpen depth the Mets, but the Twins, Nationals, Phillies, Dodgers, and others are likely to also pursue the southpaw.

Drew Pomeranz – Dodgers

Another left-handed reliever, Drew Pomeranz, is anticipated to sign on for two years with the Dodgers at $16MM. He posted a 4.85 ERA on the year, but proved to be dominant for the remainder of the season when traded to the Brewers and converted to a reliever in August. There, he sported a 2.39 ERA over 26.1 IP. The Dodgers are likely to send out a qualifying offer, but teams with lacking bullpen depth are likely to jump at Pomeranz.

Position Players

Yasmani Grandal – Reds

Grandal is predicted to sign a four-year, $68MM deal with the Reds. In the 2019 season, Grandal earned a 2.5 WAR, the second-highest among catchers only to J.T. Realmuto. He has also been the best hitting catcher in the big leagues over two seasons, posting a 123 wRC+. In 2018, he declined a four-year $60MM offer from the Mets, claiming he was concerned about the annual value offered. Though the Mets could use his glove and bat in 2020, this offer from the Reds will trump the Mets’ previous offer.

Anthony Rendon – Nationals

Anthony Rendon is expected to stay with the Nationals on a seven-year, $235MM deal. Rendon, coming off a World Series win in 2019, will be highly-sought-after in the offseason. He batted .316 in 2019, and evidenced by his 126 RBI and 6.5 WAR on the season, he is deemed one of the five best position players in the majors over the last three seasons. Though he seems to be out of budget for the Mets, the Rangers, Phillies, Braves, Cardinals, and Angels will also be looking at Rendon.