2) Ryne Stanek
Ryne Stanek had a pretty lousy regular season if we look at things with a pair of binoculars. His 6.06 ERA was a bit deceptive. A bad debut versus the Atlanta Braves along with a shellacking against his former Seattle Mariners teammates accounted for 7 of the 11 earned runs against him. An experienced postseason performer, he has been one of the most trustworthy options for Carlos Mendoza throughout.
Routinely getting 3+ outs for the Mets this postseason, Stanek is riding a momentous wave into free agency. We’re all eager to see it wait a little longer. At least one more game against the Dodgers for him to show the Mets and everyone else how good he can be in these spots, Stanek is on the verge of becoming someone fans go on a rant about wanting back.
The $4 million Stanek got last offseason from the Mariners is in the same ballpark of what it would take to re-sign him. Adjust for inflation. Add in how well he has pitched in the playoffs. Subtract a sub-par regular season. Divide his age. We have a deal of around the same total with someone maybe willing to tack on a second year or give him a million more.
You probably didn’t have much of a thought about whether or not you’d want Stanek back once the regular season wrapped up. Today, you might be imagining a roster with him again.