FanSided

1 thing to love, 1 thing to dislike about each of the recent free agent signings

By Tim Boyle |
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The New York Mets had a busy week. From the MLB Winter Meetings and into the hours after it was over, they were one of the league’s most active ball clubs.

With all free agent signings, there are parts to like and parts to dislike. The Mets deserve rave reviews for what they managed to do in this early stage of the offseason. We’re going to limit the praise for what we love most. We'll gush over these deals more extensively if it leads to a championship.

As for the dislike, expect the Debbie Downer take even if it’s only a minor scoff at the deal.

1 )What we love and what we don’t like about the Mets signing Justin Verlander

Oh, baby! What do we love most about this addition? Justin Verlander gives the Mets the perfect pairing to have alongside Max Scherzer. We know there is no spotlight too big for him. He just won the American League Cy Young and a World Series.

What we should love about this most? Kate Upton at Citi Field is off the table.

Adding Verlander continues to solidify in the minds of fans how badly Steve Cohen wants to win. The moment Jacob deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers, this was the move to make. The deal is for only two seasons with an option for 2025. Game on!

If there is one thing we shouldn’t like about it is that the Mets are putting a lot of faith in a guy on his way to turning 40. Verlander hasn’t shown that he’s about to fall off a cliff. While his 2022 performance might be a reach for our expectations, he should still be good.

The year Verlander was born is the only thing to dislike about this deal.

2) What we love and what we don’t like about the Mets signing Jose Quintana

The Mets continued adding to their rotation with the addition of Jose Quintana. The veteran lefty is joining the Mets on a two-year deal worth $26 million. It’s a pretty good price for a guy who had a successful 2022 campaign with a bad team and one that made it into the postseason.

Quintana is surprisingly one of the younger starting pitchers the Mets will put on the mound in 2023. Age isn’t much of a factor with him in a negative or positive sense.

What we love about this signing is the upside. If Quintana can continue to pitch as well as he did in 2022 for the Mets in 2023 and 2024, he’s going to look like a free agent bargain.

This isn’t, however, much of a guarantee. Quintana’s 2022 season was a “comeback” year after several down seasons. It’s very possibly he regresses backward more into the pitcher he was with the Chicago Cubs.

That’s not what we dislike about this deal. What’s not so fantastic is how deep Quintana should be expected to go. While he managed to stay healthy and effective last year, Quintana averaged barely over 5 innings per start. The Mets are going to rely on their bullpen heavily whenever he takes the mound. Quintana was a good signing. He just wasn’t a perfect one.

3) What we love and what we don’t like about the Mets signing David Robertson

Speaking of bullpens, the Mets added David Robertson to the mix for 2023. He’s on a one-year deal worth $10 million. The money isn’t good or bad. The length of the deal is better than bad considering his age. The Mets needed an eighth inning guy. Robertson is the first answer they found.

Robertson has pitched in New York before, spending many of his years with the New York Yankees. Also fresh off of several high-leverage situations in the postseason for the Philadelphia Phillies, we have to love his moxie. Robertson is nearing retirement. Signing with the Mets came with a clear purpose. He doesn’t want his 2009 Yankees World Series ring to be the only one he can tell his grandkids about.

Hopefully, the Mets aren’t done building their bullpen quite yet. Starting with Robertson as the major splash is strong, though.

On the negative side, Robertson might feel a little too much like Jeurys Familia at times. He’s an exceptional pitcher with a high strikeout rate. It also comes with a lot of walks—or at least it did so last season. He averaged 4.9 walks per 9 in the regular season. With Philadelphia, it launched up to 6.2.

The only thing more frustrating than a late-inning reliever who serves up meatballs is one who issues free passes. It’s an incredibly minor thing to dislike about this addition. We’ll start worrying if it’s clear this is the only high-leverage righty Billy Eppler adds.

4) What we love and what we don’t like about the Mets signing Brandon Nimmo

How can you not love the addition of Brandon Nimmo back to the Mets? This was the most necessary free agent signing for them to make. There’s a reason why Nimmo was so popular. It had nothing to do with bringing in a television audience from Wyoming.

Center field will be patrolled by Nimmo for at least a few more years. His contract for eight seasons was bold yet necessary to avoid having this major hole on the roster.

We love this addition because we know how much Nimmo has improved in recent seasons. He is now one of the best center fielders in the game. This is said without bias. Look at the numbers. Any of them. He’s among the top at the position on both sides of the ball and one of the game’s best OBP guys.

As far as disliking it, we can worry in seven years when a battered Nimmo is closing in on calling it a career. Eight years is a lot. Nimmo’s history of getting hurt will catch up with him in the latter part of this deal.

Again, let future Mets teams worry about finding a solution. The window to win is so wide open we can smell what the neighbors are cooking.

5) What we love and what we don't like about the Mets signing Kodai Senga

The Mets are getting greedy this offseason. The Kodai Senga signing, which many of us early risers didn't find out until we woke up on Sunday, was running the ball into the endzone on 1st and inches. It was such an obvious move for the Mets to make. The contract was one that would give Senga the best opportunity to win.

Signed for five years at $75 million, it's reasonably priced. New York may have gone a little above what other teams were willing to risk with a semi-unknown. Changing leagues can be difficult. This could very well be another Kaz Matsui.

We can throw our love at this addition because it ensures the Mets aren't punting a rotation spot whatsoever. They had to go out and add at least two quality arms. We may have accepted David Peterson or Tylor Megill as the fifth starter. The problem with that being the plan is it means the rotation isn't as good as last year. It's a step backward. Adding in Senga now at least provides the team with a possibility of having an equivalent starting five.

As far as not liking this deal, it comes down to the rest of the roster. The Mets still have a bullpen to figure out. The rotation looks much different, but the lineup hasn't changed. In a way, it almost feels as if the Mets are tracking toward a repeat of last season. A slightly improved record could get them a postseason bye. What happens when they run into a hot Wild Card team?

The offseason isn't over yet. Senga signing with the orange and blue was this team tapping into a market with few top options. The big concern I now have is how nicely other teams will play with trades. I don't see them sharing.

dark. Next. Best first-round draft picks the Mets have made at each position

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