Mets: Three sneaky free agent moves that can improve the Mets in 2021

This upcoming offseason, there are three under the radar free agents the New York Mets should pursue to improve the ballclub in 2021.

All eyes around the league will be on the New York Mets this upcoming winter with billionaire Steve Cohen taking reins of the team as soon as November. Many Mets fans have already begun making their wish lists on which players they would like to don the orange and blue next spring.

We can state the obvious that the general consensus around Mets nation is that ownership should do whatever it takes to lock up catcher J.T. Realmuto and starting pitcher Trevor Bauer this offseason. Both will fill an immediate need at the catching position and as an arm in a depleted starting rotation. Both players are also going to command a high price on the market as they are two of the most coveted players that will be hitting free agency this winter.

For the record, I am hoping the Mets can acquire Realmuto and/or Bauer this upcoming offseason as it will easily upgrade the team at positions they have glaring holes at. But looking on the other side of the spectrum there is much other work to be done to fill out the rest of the Mets roster next spring, and there are a few under the radar moves that the front office can make to build a winner next season.

The three free agents I believe the Mets should sign this upcoming offseason include one of the most underrated catchers in baseball, a reliable reliever who has a proven track record, and a starting pitcher that can provide the Mets with depth and quality innings in the middle of their rotation.

Catcher James McCann

Many baseball insiders around the league are predicting a high price bidding war this winter between the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher J.T. Realmuto. While many can assume that Realmuto could wind up with the highest bidder, there is still no guarantee that he could leave Philadelphia, the place where he has called home the last two seasons.

If Realmuto does not pan out in the Mets plans this winter for whatever reason, there is a solid backup plan in current Chicago White Sox catcher James McCann. The 30-year old McCann may be one of the most under-appreciated players in baseball and could do well for himself this winter with his bat finally catching up to his great defense over the past couple of seasons.

McCann is highly regarded around the league for his defense and many wondered if his bat would ever be able to catch up to his glove. That transition has occurred with McCann having a .288 batting average and 0.848 OPS between the past two seasons with the White Sox. Also with the White Sox signing catcher Yasmani Grandal last offseason, you can bet that McCann will be looking for a starting catcher situation next spring after his offensive breakout over the past two seasons.

Both McCann and Realmuto will be 30-years old at the beginning of next season, and they both also are around the same exact OPS mark over the past two seasons. If the Mets want to throw more money at Trevor Bauer, they could certainly sign the former All-Star in McCann who would still provide the Mets with an upgrade at the catching position both offensively as well as defensively while allocating money towards other needs.

Relief Pitcher Pedro Baez

With the rebound of Edwin Diaz this season the Mets seemed to be locked in at the closer position heading into 2021. There is still the question of who the Mets will use in the late innings of games however next season, as we don’t know whether Seth Lugo will be a starter or a reliever, Jeurys Familia has been wildly inconsistent, and it’s very tough to see the Mets wanting to go another round with Dellin Betances. The jury is also still out on Miguel Castro filling a late-inning role.

This is where reliever Pedro Baez fits into the Mets plans in 2021. The 32-year old reliever has long been regarded as one of the most consistent arms out of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen over the past seven seasons and with relievers performance varying from season to season, having an arm providing consistency in the bullpen late in games is undeniably valuable.

The right-handed Baez would take the ball every night if he could as he is nicknamed “LA Mula”, which is Spanish for the mule. Baez has a career 3.06 ERA with a sparkling 1.10 career WHIP while striking out 25% of the batters he has faced in his career. Baez gets his work done with a three-pitch repertoire that includes a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a changeup, but he tends to lean more towards using his fastball and changeup than his slider.

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In high leverage situations throughout his entire career, Baez is holding batters to a ridiculous .182 batting average. Baez could provide more value to the Mets roster than many people realize, as he could take the ball most nights late in games and also can step in as the closer if Diaz is unavailable.