Something doesn’t add up.
The Mets payroll for 2018 will reportedly fall short of the $155 million threshold the team had this past season, with a flurry of reports saying that the team will have approximately $30-$40 million to spend this winter.
It’s only appropriate that the Mets are suddenly in on a plethora of free agents, including but not limited to first baseman Carlos Santana, outfielder Lorenzo Cain, relief pitchers Addison Reed, Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith, and perhaps the most surprising, Shohei Ohtani, right as tickets are slated to go on sale Friday.
It’s funny that the Mets are now reportedly interested in the Japanese Babe Ruth, despite not sending a scout to see him back in August, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
While the new international free agent cap will prevent Ohtani from taking home a big pay day, it seems very unlikely to me that the Mets will somehow land him, especially with nine teams ahead of them with more IFA bonus pool money.
I digress.
This interest in the free agent market to me just doesn’t add up. Lorenzo Cain alone would dip into that $30-$40 million significantly. Sign a reliever to a multi-year deal, which is very unlike Sandy Alderson of the past, and you are just about to the limit of available funds.
I doubt the Mets dole out a four-year deal to Carlos Santana and I really don’t think they’re going to be able to sign someone like Addison Reed on a multi-year deal.
Ultimately, I think the Mets may sign someone like Bryan Shaw, a cheaper first base option like Daniel Nava, a starter like R.A. Dickey on a one-year pact and maybe a bat like Todd Frazier.
But to think that Ohtani is going to suddenly come here, especially over the rival New York Yankees or 18 other teams who have more pool money than the Mets, is somewhat laughable.
Sandy Alderson on Wednesday made a rather ambiguous statement regarding the pitcher/outfielder.
“I don’t think there is a downside in looking into it,” he said. “I think the only downside is creating a false set of expectations among fans that have to be tempered. This guy can go to any one of 30 teams.
“There’s still a lot to be learned to be in his situation and how it potentially will unfold. But to sit here today and say ‘no, we’re not interested,’ would be foolish.”
Bigger than just Ohtani, the team isn’t fooling anyone by all of a sudden being big players on the free agent market.
We’ll hear the same spiel that we do every year. They were interested, they tried their best and ultimately, they didn’t think it was worth it as the names they currently like fall off the board.
