Will the Mets feel more pressure to extend Marcus Stroman because of shortened season?

A shortened 2020 season could put some pressure on the New York Mets to do their best to extend Marcus Stroman.

The New York Mets have more than a handful of players set to reach free agency next winter. One of the more notable names is Marcus Stroman.

Acquired last summer in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, Stroman was viewed as an early addition to the rotation. He helped the club plenty in late 2019 and is currently in line to be the team’s number two starter with Noah Syndergaard sidelined.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the 2020 season is still in limbo. With the only guarantee being that the Mets will probably get fewer starts out of Stroman than previously believed, there may be a little more pressure to extend him than there was before.

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The Mets gave up two good pitching prospects to land Stroman. Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson could be anything from big league busts to top-of-the-rotation arms.

Time will tell how effective they are against big league pitchers. Regardless of how they perform, the Mets will want to make sure they get a little more from Stroman before he reaches free agency.

Stroman is going to get paid well in free agency whether the 2020 season includes 162 games or far less. He’s on the right side of 30 and has the pedigree many believe make him worth a big contract.

Brodie Van Wagenen’s reputation as a general manager is still at stake. The Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz deal looks like it may result in an epic disaster; unless of course there’s a major change to how either of them performs in the near future.

Anytime a general manager flips younger players for a major leaguer there’s a risk involved. If all the Mets get out of Stroman are a couple of starts in 2019 and a few more in 2020 without a playoff appearance, it will be far easier to critique.

Stroman came to New York to bring this team to the playoffs. Anything less, his tenure will look like a disappointment.

The unforeseen circumstances which have made the 2020 season different from the rest will change the direction of many teams. For the Mets and Stroman, it could potentially force BVW to offer an extension he may not have in a nearly year.

To save face, at least offering Stroman a long-term deal is a reasonable expectation. Stroman, however, has little reason to actually accept it. His resume is strong enough to get rewarded in free agency.

If it does happen, there’s still an opportunity for Van Wagenen to pull Stroman back in. We should never underestimate the value of having a player under your control at some point.

Stroman is a New Yorker at heart. He has no place to run off to.

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In order to get the most out of the trade that first brought Stroman to the Amazins, I expect the organization to do all they can to retain him. He’s a Brodie guy, after all. And we know how much he works to keep his players—ex-clients or acquired players—with the organization.