NY Mets: 1 reason for bringing back the big four free agents

Why the Mets are likely to retain Noah Syndergaard

It’s been a long road back for Syndergaard after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After having the surgery back in March 2020, Syndergaard has suffered multiple setbacks on his road to recovery, which has affected the Mets pitching staff the past couple of seasons as well as his chances for a large payday.

Given that the Mets were out of the postseason hunt by the time Syndergaard was ready to return, it was a surprise that the team let him play at all. However, seeing Syndergaard for the two brief appearances accomplished a couple of functions: For one, it allowed Syndergaard to show the team that he is healthy and that he still has his stuff. For two, it offered Mets fans a reason to attend two games late in the season when the season was already lost.

Unlike Conforto, who had a bad year, Syndergaard did not pitch enough for him to be evaluated as a healthy pitcher heading into next season. Two innings is way too small a sample size for teams to get an accurate measure of how Syndergaard will perform going forward. As a result, Syndergaard’s free agency situation is going to be more straightforward: He will most likely need to get a one-year “prove it” deal, and then enter free agency again once the 2022 season concludes.

The main reason the Mets should bring Syndergaard back is for reasons that teams often cite with prospects: The potential is there. When he was healthy, Syndergaard settled in as an above-average pitcher who could help the Mets win games. Now that he is healthy, it should be expected that the Mets would want to see what he can offer the organization since they sunk a huge investment into his recovery.

Bringing Syndergaard back would be mutually beneficial for both the team and the player. The Mets would be getting Syndergaard at a reduced rate, and Syndergaard gets the chance to re-establish his worth.

The Mets Marcus Stroman has proven to be more than valuable to the team’s rotation.

Marcus Stroman’s 2021 performance is one reason why analysts and baseball writers do not put much stock in a pitcher’s win-loss record.

Once Jacob deGrom went down, Marcus Stroman became the team’s number one pitcher, and he had a solid season. He led the majors with 33 starts in 2021 and compiled a 3.02 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, and 158 strikeouts in 179 innings. In a season filled with various injuries to many of the starting pitchers, Stroman’s durability was key in keeping the Mets afloat as long as possible.

Stroman is not a typical pitcher in the modern era. He doesn’t have particularly overpowering stuff, so he is never going to strike out a lot of hitters. However, Stroman is very good at inducing a lot of weak ground balls.

Because the Mets can never have enough pitching, and considering the fact that deGrom and Syndergaard will be coming off injuries to start the 2022 season, the Mets need to bring Stroman back. He was the only Mets pitcher that was able to make his starts last season, and he has a track record of being able to lead a pitching staff if the situation were to arise again.

Unlike Conforto, Stroman enters the free agent market in a great position to get a nice, long-term agreement. He’s coming off a solid year, demonstrating that he can be durable and even lead a staff for stretches at a time, and remains in his prime. The competition for Stroman’s services is expected to be stiff.

However, Mets owner Steve Cohen is known for his deep pockets and willingness to spend. It’s time for him to do so. Unless Stroman decides to give the Mets a hometown discount, which is incredibly unlikely, Cohen and company are going to have to cough up in order to ensure he does not jump ship to a new club.

The Mets Javier Baez carried the team’s offense down the stretch.

Apart from the thumbs-down controversy, Baez had himself a solid second half with the Mets. In 47 games, Baez clubbed 9 home runs and compiled a .299/.371/.515 batting line. His chemistry with childhood friend Francisco Lindor was also well-received, and the duo formed a good tandem in the middle of the infield. Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough as the team collapsed down the stretch.

Baez is like the stock market: He is prone to constant upturns and downswings, depending on his bat. When he is producing offensively, Baez can look like the best player out on the field. However, when he’s not hitting, fans are witness to a barrage of swings and misses along with hardly any walks.

Baez’s inability to get on-base consistently is a drawback to his offensive value, and it is one reason why the Mets better not think of entertaining Baez’s initial contract demands of $200 million over eight years. No one blames Baez for trying to cash in, especially because of his strong second half, but he’s living on planet Mars if he thinks he is getting that. Baez is a strikeout machine who cannot get on base consistently enough to justify the price tag he feels he is worth.

Yet, even with Baez’s deficiencies, the Mets need to entertain bringing him back, because the alternative is sticking a 39-year-old Robinson Cano back out there, and that is assuming the team even does bring him back once his suspension ends. Not making an effort to bring him back could also potentially strain relations between Francisco Lindor and the team’s front office. Considering Francisco Lindor is the face of the team now, coupled with the fact that the Mets have already dealt with various public relations nightmares this year, they certainly do not need another one.

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In a player-centric league, keeping the stars happy is essential to the health of a franchise. As a result, the Mets should make an effort to resign Javier Baez, provided the price tag isn’t $200 million.