Mets: Which top free agent did they miss out on most this winter?

Did the Mets need J.T. Realmuto most?

Realmuto heads back to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year deal worth $115.5 million. It’s a lot more than what the Mets agreed to pay James McCann—the choice they went with.

A question we then need to ask is in regards to whether or not Realmuto is worth almost three times more at only one extra season. For me, the answer is pretty simple: no.

Realmuto is a better ballplayer than McCann so I won’t disparage his abilities whatsoever. At a step or two below him, McCann feels like a real bargain.

I still have my questions about McCann’s overall abilities. His defense feels steady, but his bat may not be so. What he did with the Chicago White Sox seemed to come from out of nowhere. If he reverts back to his Detroit Tigers days with his bat, the Mets may feel like they should have paid the big price for the number one catcher.

Did the Mets need Trevor Bauer most?

My opinion on Bauer changed plenty throughout the offseason. At first, it felt like he was a must for the Mets. Starting pitching was where they needed an upgrade most and had the fewest free agent options available.

As time went on, my opinion changed. Bauer’s career statistics didn’t justify the cost. At three-years and $102 million, it’s a strange contract paying him a lot of money annually but not anything record-breaking in terms of overall value.

Bauer is coming off the best season of any of these free agents so it’s understandable why the Los Angeles Dodgers willingly turned their piggybanks upside down and asked him to come back home. From a Mets perspective, it didn’t feel like as much of a fit given their other needs.

Bauer would have been a wonderful addition to the Mets rotation. However, as currently constructed, I’m not so sure they needed him most.