Mets Million-Dollar Question: Is Trevor Bauer or J.T. Realmuto the bigger priority?

1) The case for J.T. Realmuto

The Mets received bottom level tier production out of their starting catching position that included both Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos this season. Tomas Nido had the look of a breakout season before going down with Covid-19 and missing the remainder of the season, but he should be considered the favorite for the backup job next season.

There is no question the Mets need a significant upgrade at catcher both offensively as well as defensively next season, and they are in luck with one of the top catchers in the game hitting the open market in J.T. Realmuto. The 29-year old Realmuto has been long connected to the Mets since he was a member of the Miami Marlins but ultimately no deal ever came to fruition. The Mets now have the opportunity to sign Realmuto while not giving up any prospects or Major League talent to acquire him. Just straight cold hard cash this time around is all it will take to have Realmuto don an orange and blue jersey in 2021.

Realmuto’s offensive production would instantly lengthen an already deep Mets batting lineup but he would also provide the Mets with one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. The right-handed hitting catcher won both the Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award last season in his first full season with the Philadelphia Phillies.

With the signing of Realmuto, Steve Cohen would be making his instant splash that many executives and analysts in baseball believe he is going to make this offseason, while also signaling a changing of the guard in the National League East. Not only would the Mets possess the most highly regarded catcher in the game but the organization would be weakening our division rivals in a power move that the Mets have not made in quite some time.

Realmuto’s longer sustained success in the league will certainly be taken into account this offseason when comparing him to Trevor Bauer. All in all, it’s the optimal feed two birds with one seed maneuver that the Mets should consider making this offseason.

2) The case for Trevor Bauer

The biggest weakness that plagued the Mets during the abbreviated 2020 season was their starting pitching. Between losing Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman for the season, and the ineffectiveness of Michael Wacha as well as Rick Porcello the starting rotation was for the most part in shambles. Luckily the Mets still have the best pitcher in baseball in Jacob deGrom as well as promising rookie David Peterson to build from this offseason.

With three potential open rotation spots available, considering there is no firm timeline when Noah Syndergaard may be ready to pitch in games again, the Mets are going to need a solid number, two starting pitcher, to follow deGrom next season. Insert Trevor Bauer.

The right-handed pitcher had a Cy Young caliber season in 2020 and is going to be looking for a contract that most likely makes him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball in annual average value. The Mets will have the money to make that possibility a reality and it would instantly give the Mets the best one-two punch in baseball with the acquisition of Bauer.

Bauer seems to be entering his prime after finding his niche in 2020 with the Cinncinatti Reds and pitching to a 1.73 ERA in 11 starts, as well as whiffing 100 batters in 73 innings pitched. The Mets former General Manager and new president, Sandy Alderson, loved building his previous Mets teams on dominant starting pitching which makes this move make more logistical sense this offseason than signing Realmuto.

The Mets already possess a high octane offense as they were at the top of the league’s leaderboards in offensive statistics in 2020, and by adding the 29-year old Bauer to the rotation in 2021 it would give the Mets two aces at the top of their starting rotation to complement their league-leading offense which was something they sorely missed having this past season.

3) The Verdict: The Mets should prioritize signing Trevor Bauer over J.T. Realmuto

You can never have too much starting pitching in baseball and that is a lesson the Mets learned the hard way this season. Signing Trevor Bauer would give the Mets a legitimate ace to pair with Jacob deGrom next season and with Bauer reportedly not looking for longer-term commitments this could be the best move for the Mets to make in the short term.

We have all seen longer-term contracts not pan out the way teams have thought they would in the past. With J.T. Realmuto reportedly wanting a six or seven-year contract close to $200 million this offseason, it wouldn’t make sense for the Mets to make a move that sizeable with other potential options on the free-agent market such as James McCann or trading for a starting catcher this offseason.

With as physically demanding as the catcher position is, New York might find value for the first half of the contract, but normally catchers do not age well behind the plate and sometimes will require a position change. It also doesn’t go without saying the Mets have a top catching prospect that many in the organization are very high on in 18-year old Francisco Alvarez who could be ready for the Majors in three seasons or so.

Bauer fills a much bigger hole for the team currently and with his addition, it would easily make the organization a legitimate playoff contender next season. Spending substantial money on one of the best pitchers in baseball to add to the bare starting rotation seems to make more sense, rather than adding an offensive driven catcher to the Mets already potent lineup which would seem to be more of a luxury move.

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I’ve always lived by the old adage that pitching wins championships. If the Mets are going to make a deep run next October, the entire front office would be smart to prioritize Trevor Bauer over J.T. Realmuto this winter.