NY Mets boldly predicted to spend $400 million on someone other than Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

It can be hard to avoid excitement for future free agent classes. At the same time, we do need to take advice from Ferris Buehler and stop to smell the roses. The New York Mets have Juan Soto right now. Future free agent dreams can wait even if the idea of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting behind him in 2026 is enough to make you salivate.

Over at NorthJersey.com, 25 predictions for the 2025 Mets season went through exactly what they believe will happen this coming year. Predictions are a part of the fun before games begin to get played. At the tail end of what they’re predicting is another fun Mets season, the boldest declaration of all is made when they get into free agency.

It’s a $400 million deal the Mets hand out that doesn’t go to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Kyle Tucker is the man predicted to end up with the Mets for about half the cost of Soto.

How realistic is it for the Mets to spend $400 million on Kyle Tucker?

Tucker is the greatest backup plan a team who missed on Soto can have. New York Yankees fans were already hoping to see it happen when Soto went to the Mets. Tucker has been a superstar who, quite frankly, hasn’t gotten enough attention since his breakout campaign in 2021 with the Houston Astros. He’ll embark on a year with the Chicago Cubs in 2025 hoping to show off that he’d be worth $400 million when he becomes a free agent a few months before turning 29.

A $400 contract does seem a bit ambitious for a player who’ll reach free agency right before his age 29 season. Does a ten-year deal help it make more sense? That would put him at $40 million per year which doesn’t seem too outrageous for a guy who has already won one Gold Glove in his career. Right field, however, isn’t quite as valuable as some of the other position players earning $300+ call home. Even Aaron Judge outside of one fifth inning in October he’d like to forget was capable of playing a steady center field. That’s not who Tucker is.

Whether he gets $400 million or not is up for debate. The Mets signing him seems a bit more outlandish. Does it mean Soto is the everyday DH? Or has he moved to left field? Where does this put Brandon Nimmo? Nimmo might see some time in center field again but the preference is clearly to have him in left field where he can age into better.

There will be better ways for the Mets to spend $400 million next offseason. Two $200 million pitchers alone seems more appetizing. It’s nothing against Tucker. It just seems like ordering chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate filling. Eventually, you have to add some butter cream in there.