A reason to doubt the NY Mets will go full bore after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter

Every big free agent, whether he makes sense or not, is going to be a discussion for New York Mets fans. Shoehorning a player in at a different position is one way fans can try to justify such pursuits. And because the team literally did come to an agreement with Carlos Correa to become a third baseman, it’s not an unreasonable expectation we’ll see something like this happen in the future as well.

Next winter, it’ll be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who’ll be the apple of every Mets fans’ eye. Not quite Juan Soto and yet not so distant behind in terms of ability in multiple ways, he’s a unique younger free agent with MVP-caliber abilities even in a down year.

Dreams of a lineup with Guerrero and Soto have already hit the minds of Mets fans. How reasonable is it to expect the ball club to win his free agent sweepstakes when so much of what they’ve done this offseason suggests they’re not just going to wait around for him?

Wouldn’t the Mets have already moved on from Pete Alonso if they had plans to pay Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Whether the rumors involving Pete Alonso are all true or not, the Mets would have probably signed another first baseman by now if they planned to go full bore after Guerrero next winter. They didn’t land Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, or even shame us with a year of Josh Bell at the position. The possibility of moving Mark Vientos to first base looms, but the only way this can truly satisfy would be for the club to sign Alex Bregman. The addition of him, unless it includes an opt out after the first year which they’re pretty certain he’d use, makes it even more difficult to picture the Mets with Guerrero across the diamond a year from now.

Waiting for a free agent is never wise when your whole future is dependent on signing them. Mets fans had elaborate dreams of major free agent signings the moment Steve Cohen became the owner. Alas, many never got there because of extensions.

The Mets have played it well at first base by focusing on Alonso, the best available option. He—or more likely Scott Boras—failed to bite on any of the offers. That’s why we welcomed in the New Year with a roster containing a big vacancy in the middle of the lineup.

A short-term agreement with Alonso with opt outs could still lay the groundwork for a future with Guerrero, maybe even one where he plays alongside Alonso for a year. More than likely, someone who missed on Soto pulverizes all other offers. The Mets' deal with Soto created a sample of what the contract for Guerrero ultimately looks like. Someone else will go beyond reason.