NY Mets: Top 12 free agents the team should look to sign this winter

This is going to be a fun winter of free agency. The New York Mets, with Steve Cohen fuming over watching his team finish below .500 (or so I imagine), won’t let this happen again.

The Mets remain one of baseball’s most dangerous teams because of the market they play in, the owner they have, and the angst of the fans demanding something better. Free agency is going to be where the Mets get better.

Although this winter’s class of free agents is shortstop-heavy and the Mets shouldn’t be shopping there, there are plenty of other intriguing options. I’ve included those who played for the 2021 team on this list of the top ten free agents to sign and many more who will be brand new to the organization. While I don’t personally feel they should throw away the 14th overall pick by taking anyone who received a qualifying offer, I’d be willing to accept this if the team goes nuts and pulls in everyone they possibly can.

With all due respect to the free agent relievers out there, I’ve left you off this list. Signing a starting pitcher or offensive player is a bigger priority. Please, don’t hate me, Aaron Loup. Come back!

12) NY Mets free agent target Kevin Gausman

Until this year, I would have thought making Kevin Gausman a top ten free agent to sign would be very “Wilponian.” He has been rather average in his MLB career. This seemed to change since joining the San Francisco Giants.

Last year was okay for Gausman in San Francisco. This most recent season put him in the Cy Young conversation.

Gausman finished the 2021 campaign tied for a league-leading 33 starts. In those 192 innings, he went 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA. Better yet, he struck out 227 batters. Gausman was never a strikeout master in his early days with the Baltimore Orioles. Someone, somewhere taught him the importance of it.

Gausman has his 31st birthday scheduled for early January so he’s not exactly old or young for a free agent. He’s right there in the middle. A right-handed pitcher who may have simply needed to get out of Camden Yards to find success, he’d be an intriguing option for the Mets to buy high on this winter.

The reason he’s not higher on this list is because of some doubts. Can he replicate what he did with the Giants this year somewhere else? If there’s a place to do so, Citi Field could be it.

11) NY Mets free agent target Max Scherzer

I think there’s a less than zero percent chance Max Scherzer signs with the Mets this winter. The veteran future Hall of Famer isn’t going to be chasing money or even a championship. He’s going to play wherever he wants and I think that leaves only a small number of franchises.

Returning to the Washington Nationals is possible for comfort. Remaining with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts in 2021 also makes a ton of sense. What about the St. Louis Cardinals? Scherzer is a Missouri native.

I can’t exclude Scherzer from this list, though. He has been one of the game’s best pitchers for years. The pedigree he brings to any team he plays for is far greater than individual statistics. He is a professional and one of the good guys in the game we don’t hear enough about.

Imagine a 2022 Mets rotation featuring Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. I know it’s ridiculously stupid and only something you’d see in a video game. But drool over it for a moment, will you?

Scherzer might not be the 200+ inning workhorse he was only a few years ago. Nonetheless, his leadership is something the Mets clubhouse could use a little more of. If I thought there was a shot at him coming to Flushing, you better believe he’d be ranked higher.

10) NY Mets free agent target Carlos Rodon

Most assuredly about to get a qualifying offer from the Chicago White Sox, the chances of the Mets sacrificing their second-round draft pick in order to make Carlos Rodon a member of their 2022 roster is slim. I can’t blame them. He hasn’t exactly put together the greatest of resumes.

Rodon is a player you sign with the expectation that he gets even better. In 2021, he was 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been a far more serious contender for some league-leading statistics if he was able to make more than 24 starts.

With a strikeout rate of 12.6 per nine innings, Rodon showed he can probably succeed in just about any environment. The 28-year-old lefty excelled well above anyone’s expectations. If the market passes him by, he’s a guy the Mets should definitely consider looking at.

Rodon’s biggest issue might be how limited he has been since his MLB debut in 2015. His season-high for innings pitched is only 165. The trouble with signing him might be how quickly he could run out of gas. We might see a repeat of what happened to Taijuan Walker in 2021.

I’ll remain optimistic about Rodon’s future. If the Mets sign him, I won’t complain.

9) NY Mets free agent target Robbie Ray

Pitching is pretty important for every ball club. The Mets saw how much a bad rotation can affect them this past year. Robbie Ray, a guy who turned in a terrific season for the Toronto Blue Jays, is someone they definitely need to think about signing.

Ray was 13-7 with a league-leading 2.84 ERA in 2021. He also led the league with 193.1 innings and 248 strikeouts. It was an incredible year for the lefty. Undoubtedly, it should lead to a fat contract this offseason.

I like the idea of the Mets pursuing Ray because he can give them a trusted lefty in the rotation. It’s not something they have really had for quite some time. Even if his career track record suggests this past season was as good as it can get, I’m willing to take a chance that he has figured something out and can at least come close to repeating his 2021 performance.

Ray has done one thing quite effectively since 2016 and that’s stay on the field. While he hasn’t been an iron man, there hasn’t been a major injury to prevent him from making at least 23 starts each season dating back to 2015—sans the shortened 2020 season where he was both healthy but also pretty bad.

I wouldn’t overpay for Ray. At the right price, he can absolutely give the Mets some starting pitching leverage over the rest of the league.

Everything above is negated if Ray ends up with a qualifying offer from Toronto. In which case, he’s not worth sacrificing the 14th pick in the draft for.

7) NY Mets free agent target Marcus Semien

Marcus Semien had a monster year with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played all 162 games for them and led the league with 724 trips to the plate. During those plate appearances, Semien smashed 45 home runs, drove in 102, and slashed .265/.334/.538 playing mostly second base.

The Mets’ second base situation is one to watch closely. The return of Robinson Cano raises questions as does the future of Jeff McNeil.

Semien is more than just a guy to shove into second base and hope he hits. Also experienced at shortstop, he gives the Mets a little bit of flexibility around the infield. It wouldn’t shock me to see Semien even take on the third base job every so often if he was to sign with the blue and orange.

Something I think everyone will agree with is how badly the Mets need to bring in power this offseason. It was a weakness of the club in 2021, partly due to injury but also because their usual sluggers—other than Pete Alonso—underperformed.

I don’t think a 45 home run campaign is happening again for Semien, particularly if he plays half of his games at Citi Field. If the team was to get 30 from him and near-perfect attendance, I would declare it a win.

6) NY Mets free agent target Noah Syndergaard

Admittedly, I had a really tough time knowing where to put Noah Syndergaard on this list. I want him back. He’s a core member of the Mets franchise. He belongs in New York.

At the same time, two innings in late September don’t exactly prove he is worthy of a big fat contract. Bringing him back is important but also not the most necessary move for the Mets to make.

I fully expect Syndergaard to accept the qualifying offer he has now received. This isn’t the greatest scenario possible but it’s not my money. The preferred choice from a financial standpoint might be to work out a multi-year deal worth less than the $18.4 million hit it will put on the payroll next season.

The trouble with Syndergaard is I can see any team with payroll to burn taking a risk on him, particularly those with less to lose because of the QO. Still youthful enough to give him a year to work his way back, Syndergaard will have a lot of suitors this winter if the Mets let him slip out of their grasp.

I’m confident enough that Syndergaard will remain with the Mets. There’s mutual interest and a clear need to make sure Thor stays in the Big Apple—in Queens of course. We don’t need him visiting The Bronx except to take on the New York Yankees or maybe visit the zoo.

5) NY Mets free agent target Nick Castellanos

Best known for ruining half-hearted apologies, Nick Castellanos is one possible answer to help boost the Mets offense. Another guy with a pretty awesome track record that includes a lifetime slash line of .278/.329/.486 and an average of 25 home runs and 89 RBI per 162 games, he’s going to be a name fans throw out there as a possibility to take over in the outfield in 2022.

Castellanos has the benefit of seemingly getting even better as the years go on. He is fresh off a .309/.362/.576 season with the Cincinnati Reds that included 34 home runs and 100 RBI.

One important factor to consider with Castellanos: he has already opted out of his contract with the Reds. He has an opt-out in his contract. He would have taken home $16 million over the next two seasons with a mutual option in 2024 at $20 million. Instead, expect his camp to try to get even more from suitors this offseason.

Indeed, I think Castellanos has a great chance to get an even bigger deal this offseason. It won’t double in size but it should approach $20 million annually as of next year.

The big trouble with Castellanos remains his defense. Another poor year in right field makes him a defensive downgrade. However, with the potential addition of the DH to the National League, there’s a place for Castellanos to slot into the lineup every day.

Other than his bat, Castellanos isn’t a round peg for a round hole in what the Mets should be looking for. Worth considering, there’s a better player for right field next year.

4) NY Mets free agent target Michael Conforto

As poor as 2021 was for Michael Conforto, he should be on the team’s list of priorities this offseason. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

Nobody knows what to expect from Conforto more than the Mets. A career .255/.356/.468 hitter with an average of 28 home runs and 85 RBI per 162 games (nearly matching Castellanos).

What makes Conforto a better match for New York is his defense. Although not a Gold Glove right fielder, he is far better at defender the corner than Castellanos and many other potential candidates.

I have a gut feeling Conforto will not be back with the Mets in 2022. Nothing is set in stone just yet. For the right price, I do think the club would welcome him back. The outfield market is rather slim. Conforto is only 28 and should be able to point at his past performances to warrant a sweet enough multi-year deal.

If Conforto walks away this winter, the Mets are going to need some outfield upgrade. Left field was abysmal in 2021 and putting faith in Brandon Nimmo to stay healthy is a fool’s game.

For as down as the year was for Scooter, he did still draw his walks and even managed to cut his strikeout percentage down to 21.7% which is below the league average of 22%. It could hint at some incredibly bad luck this past year.

3) NY Mets free agent target Javier Baez

I’m not a huge fan of Javier Baez. Despite what he showed he could accomplish in his two months with the Mets, I would prefer we thank him for his services and the team goes in another direction. That’s what my heart tells me. My head says something else.

To have a second baseman who can play the position like Baez and hit the ball the way he does gives the Mets an advantage many teams don’t get. Baez has the chance to do things no other Mets player at the position has done before. Even with their long history of successful men at the position, Baez can top them all if he re-signs with the Amazins.

Add in how much insurance Baez can provide as a shortstop and it’s so obvious how badly the Mets need to make this a long-term relationship.

As a non-qualifying offer candidate, the Mets have a worse chance at retaining him. However, with such a deep class of shortstops available on the free agent market, they could get lucky.

Those hoping to see more of Baez at Citi Field will need to hope Francisco Lindor can do even coercing to keep his good friend alongside him up the middle.

2) NY Mets free agent target Marcus Stroman

Marcus Stroman didn’t have the best year among those on this list. He’s probably also not the best pitcher available in free agency. This doesn’t take away how much of a priority he should be for the Mets this winter.

Going back to the familiarity bonus, I always think there’s nothing wrong with paying a player for his past performances. Equally as important, you never want to pay a guy for what he did with another team.

The Mets could certainly pivot away from Stroman and sign any of the other starters on this list. They come with a little more risk. Stroman practically repeated in 2021 what he did back in 2019. He seems to have found his calling as a low 3.00 ERA guy who might not go deep into games but almost always gives you a chance to win.

Is he an ace? No. Probably not. But as a number two, he is more than adequate.

During my thought process of “how can the Mets replace Stroman?” I came to the conclusion that there is no way to do so. A new deal with him is the best way to ensure they go into 2022 with a stud they can count on.

1) NY Mets free agent target Kris Bryant

The fit for Kris Bryant in New York has been there for quite some time. It’s a travesty if the Mets don’t at least attempt to sign him this winter. A third baseman who can also play the corner outfield positions effectively and even suit up at other spots makes too much sense for any ball club looking to spend big.

If you’ve watched a moment of baseball in the last several seasons, you probably already know how great of a player Bryant is. Lifetime, he has slashed .278/.376/.504. He was below these numbers in 2021 but still did manage to hit .265/.353/.481 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI.

Traded midyear from the Chicago Cubs to San Francisco Giants, Bryant closely replicated his numbers in the Bay Area as he did on the Northside. His offensive numbers dipped only slightly but not noticeably enough where I think anyone thinks of it as a bad trade.

Bryant works for the Mets primarily as a third baseman in 2022 with the possibility of transitioning elsewhere once Brett Baty or Mark Vientos are MLB-ready. I think one of these three would be destined for left field in this scenario.

The Mets will undoubtedly add some major bat to the lineup this winter even if it ends up being a new deal with midseason acquisition Javier Baez. Bryant would be my preferred choice, however. As brilliant as Baez can be, Bryant gives the team more flexibility and has a far greater tendency to put the ball in play and get hits.

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How would you rank the free agents the Mets need to sign?