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3 Mets free agent targets they missed on who've already suffered a major injury in 2024
The IL might've been more expensive if the Mets signed any of these three.
Steve Cohen is used to getting everything he wants. Ever since he became majority owner of the New York Mets, fans have expected this with free agents. Mick Jagger in his prime strutted with less confidence than some Mets fans when free agency begins. The wealth of the owner and his will to win typically has everyone assuming there is no one out of his reach.
In some cases, players choose other teams. It’s either because of location, playing time, or the Mets have been unwilling to meet their contract demands. Cohen is the face of the organization. He’s not the one making all of the baseball decisions.
Fortunately, the Mets didn’t get everything they wanted in the offseason. These three free agent misses have already suffered major injuries. Two won’t even play in 2024 at all.
1) Robert Stephenson
The Los Angeles Angels boldly paid free agent reliever Robert Stephenson $33 million on a three-year contract. A target for the Mets this offseason, teams were hoping his sudden success with the Tampa Bay Rays would continue wherever he ended up. Stephenson may need to relearn a few things. He’s out for the entire year due to Tommy John surgery.
Stephenson failed to throw a single pitch for the Angels which should have this going down as one of the worst moves of the offseason for any team. Already some pretty pedestrian career numbers made to look impressive only from his 38.1 innings with the Rays last year, chalk this up as another free agency failure for the Angels.
The Mets did still land a pitcher from the Rays School of Magic. Lefty Jake Diekman was signed to a much more modest contract. He’ll make less in two years than Stephenson will in 2024 to do nothing but rest and recover.
There is never a guarantee he would have suffered the same fate if the Mets had signed him. The same is true for this other pitcher the Mets were very much in on.
2) Lucas Giolito
A much more known and discussed recipient of Tommy John surgery, Lucas Giolito was a long sought-after free agent by the Mets and their fans this offseason. The Mets were pretty much proclaimed the runners up in his sweepstakes. It feels good to be the first-place loser here.
Like Stephenson, Giolito didn’t pitch a game for the Boston Red Sox before his diagnosis. The Red Sox have recovered nicely but in a year where they were looking to save some money, they threw a lot away on Giolito.
The veteran hurler will take home $18 million this season with a $19 million pay day next year from a player option he cannot wait to exercise. The club does have a $14 million team option on him for 2026 which becomes mutual and worth more if he reaches 140 innings in 2025—an accomplishment they’ll be sure to avoid letting him make unless the postseason is on the line.
The Red Sox were able to recover from this. Something tells me the Mets wouldn’t have been so lucky. Sean Manaea ended up as the alternative. More affordable, we can feel nothing but satisfaction Giolito went to Boston instead. This could have ended the Mets’ chances quickly.
3) Keynan Middleton
Mets rumors surrounding a pursuit of Keynan Middleton seemed more speculative than anything else. He ended up signing with the St. Louis Cardinals after doing himself some big favors with a big finish as a member of the New York Yankees last year. The connection to Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza for a dozen games wasn’t enough for the team to pursue or at least match the $5 million he’ll earn this season and $6 million team option for next year.
Middleton looked like a solid pickup for the Cardinals. Unfortunately, after 3 innings in spring training, he went down with a strained forearm. It has been almost two months since his injury and there is still no timetable listed for his return.
Middleton could have very easily ended up as an alternative for the Mets to Jake Diekman or more likely, Adam Ottavino. Ottavino is making about as much money as Middleton with the difference being the second year option.
An injury like this might not knock Middleton out of the picture entirely for 2024. But having already missed a month and no rehab underway just yet, it’s already aging badly.
The Mets wouldn’t have been able to handle the loss of such an important bullpen piece like Middleton could’ve been. Having to already DFA several relief pitchers and recall a multitude of them, this would have immediately changed our entire impression of the team’s bullpen if this was happening in Queens.
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