New York Mets: Ranking the top four extension candidates

The New York Mets have shown baseball that they’re serious about contending and contending for a long time, which is why they should prioritize extending these players very soon

The New York Mets have certainly made their intentions about winning a World Series known this offseason. It’s often been said that winning championships is better than winning the back pages of the local papers, but based on how this winter has gone so far, it looks as though Steve Cohen and company are looking to do both. The Mets broke the internet when they made the biggest blockbuster of the offseason and traded for superstar Francisco Lindor. It satisfied both the fanbase’s itch and the team’s pressing needs since all-star Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco was also included in the deal.

The Mets are now set up to be serious World Series contenders and they’re still not finished. New general manager Jared Porter made it clear the front office is “always hungry” to improve the roster and while Mets fans are salivating at the prospect of even further improving the team by adding more talent, it would behoove the Mets to make haste in retaining the talent they already possess.

When the hedge fund billionaire, who is also a lifelong fan, bought the team back in October, the possibilities of talent that could be brought to Queens was limitless in the minds of fans. However, something that can’t be overstated is the importance of Cohen’s big pockets in ensuring the Mets have a talented roster for a long, long time.

While speculation remains on whether or not the Mets will go past the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT), the reality is that they should be doing everything in their power to secure the talent that is on the cusp of free agency. As it stands right now, the Mets will have about $68M committed in payroll in 2022. This doesn’t take into account arbitration, which will certainly raise that number, but it is an incredibly flexible payroll that should allow the team to lock up some of their premier talent and keep them in the running for bringing a World Series title to Flushing.

Given next year’s financial flexibility and the team’s current roster, here are the players the Mets should extend in order of top priority to least.

After signing Francisco Lindor to an extension, the Mets should turn their attention to their homegrown, all-star right fielder

The Michael-Conforto-extension rumors were swirling even before Steve Cohen bought the team, but now that their pockets are deeper, the Mets should open up the bank to secure him. There’s been speculation as to whether or not Conforto would be open to an extension seeing as how he is a Scott Boras client and the mega agent generally pushes for his players to test the open market. Although, it was reported in December that Conforto is wanting to stay in New York long term.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2015, Conforto has been both adored by fans and feared by opposing teams. Since his rookie season, the right fielder boasts the 15th best fWAR (16) and wRC+ (128) amongst qualified outfielders. While also providing stable defense in right field, Conforto has emerged as a top outfielder in the league and should be compensated as such. In a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Conforto put up a .322/.417/.927 slash line, which was the best such line in his career to date.

While streakiness has been one of the very few critiques of his career, Conforto has consistently improved since he started playing full time. With his home run total increasing in every full season since 2017 (27, 28 & 33) the Mets have benefitted from his power from the left side. One thing that was a noticeable improvement in 2020 was his ability to hit lefties. Conforto had a career-high .284 average against southpaws, which is a huge improvement and has made him an even more lethal hitter.

With the consistent growth of Conforto as a hitter, the Mets have very suddenly constructed a lineup that could compete to be the league’s most prolific. If the Mets truly want to compete year in and year out, a contract extension that ensures Conforto is manning right field for the long haul would give them an opportunity to win a World Series not only next year but in the seasons to come.

A favorite with the fans and a force on the mound, a return from Tommy John shouldn’t stop the Mets from extending Noah Syndergaard

It’s worth imagining what the 2020 season would’ve looked like for the New York Mets if Noah Syndergaard wasn’t the victim of a torn UCL last year. It’s also worth more to imagine “Thor” in blue and orange for a long, long time.

Brought over from the Blue Jays in the famous R.A. Dickey trade, Noah Syndergaard instantly captured the fans’ hearts with both his fastball and his twitter fingers. The magnetic personality of Noah compliments his electric stuff. The hurler averaged a fastball velocity of 99.5 MPH in the 2017 season and offers a big-hook curveball that was donned the “hook from hell” by former Mets manager Terry Collins.

I wrote early last winter that the Mets should extend Syndergaard this offseason and it remains even truer today. 2020 exposed the lack of pitching depth for the Mets possessed and having consistent arms in the rotation is a necessity for any successful organization. Given the drastic leap forward the Mets have taken into contender status, it would wise to lock up Syndergaard. Much like with Lindor, Thor would be the prized possession amongst a bevy of big name pitchers, albeit older ones. Max Scherzer, Zach Greinke, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Johnny Cueto will be free agents, but none of them, with the exception of Kershaw, are below the age of 36.

There will be many more options for starting pitchers than this year’s class, but you could argue that Noah is the most appealing of the bunch. This season will be a huge indication of what kind of deal Syndergaard would net in the offseason, but the Mets should try to extend him before he throws a pitch.

With Carlos Carrasco being under contract for the next three years and Jacob deGrom under contract until 2025, the Mets should capitalize on having a strong, consistent starter in their rotation that’s still under 30 to ensure a formidable starting front to complement their elite offense.

Marcus Stroman accepted a qualifying offer for the 2021 season, but the Mets should explore extending him beyond just this season

Before opting out of the 2020 season, the trade for Marcus Stroman that initially had Mets fans scratching their head looked like a blessing. When news broke about Noah Syndergaard needing Tommy John surgery, Stroman initially provided stability behind deGrom. Obviously, Stroman opted out and the rotation behind deGrom imploded.

It’s a new year, however, with a new owner, a new front office, and an entirely new feel. Shortly after accepting the qualifying offer, Stroman explained that hearing Steve Cohen talk about his vision and desires for the team’s future played a big part in his decision to come back to Queens. This certainly helps the club this year, but also is important when thinking about the fiery pitcher’s future after this season.

Stroman will be a free agent, unless he agrees to an extension with the Mets, which is something that the team should consider. Obviously out of the four players listed, Stroman’s extension is the least urgent but is still important nevertheless. At 31, Stroman still has productive years left and as suggested with Syndergaard, it would be important to secure both talent and depth in the rotation.

If the Mets could guarantee a rotation of deGrom, Carrasco, Syndergaard, and Stroman over the next three years, it would highly increase their chances at a title run. Of course, there are injuries, regression amongst other things that naturally happen over the course of a season/career. However, when looking at the free agent class ahead and the window that exists currently led by the best pitcher in baseball, locking up Stroman for the back end of the rotation should be a priority for the Mets.

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What order would you prioritize these soon-to-be free agents?