3 free agent targets the Mets could battle the Padres to sign next winter
Are we sure Steve Cohen doesn’t own the San Diego Padres, too? They’re out there spending a ton of money. They’re handing out a lot of extensions to their star players. Suddenly, the New York Mets have a lot of competition in the free agent market.
Manny Machado is no longer available for the Mets to steal away from the Padres. It doesn’t mean a battle between these two clubs has ended.
Next winter, the Mets and Padres could go toe-to-toe looking for outside help. These three free agents would be fits for both rosters.
1) NY Mets could battle the Padres to sign Aaron Nola
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola would be a great pickup for the Mets. Hurting the Phillies in any way has its benefits. Taking away their longtime homegrown ace would be a kick to their morale.
Nola would also be a fit for the Padres whose starting rotation isn’t set beyond 2023. They have a couple of veterans signed. But with Blake Snell hitting the open market next year and other replaceable starters in the mix this year, going after Nola would make sense for San Diego. In particular, if the Padres keep Austin Nola, bringing some more Brotherly Love to San Diego feels like destiny.
The Phillies will definitely be in the mix to retain Nola. An extension is a possibility before the regular season even begins. The Mets should keep a close eye on him. With Max Scherzer’s opt out plus the impending free agency for Carlos Carrasco, New York will need to add at least one top arm next winter.
2) NY Mets could battle the Padres to sign Julio Urias
What Julio Urias means to the Padres isn’t quite what Aaron Nola means to the Mets. The one thing they have in common in this scenario is they could get stolen away by a rival. The still surprisingly young Los Angeles Dodgers lefty starter will be one of the more interesting free agents next offseason. The Mets and the Padres are both matches for him.
The same reasons the Mets should go after Nola apply for why Urias would be a fit. It would require an even more drastic change in their approach at signing free agent starters. The Mets have gone short-term, high money. Urias is going to get a long deal. He doesn’t turn 27 until this August. At minimum, we should expect him to only accept a 7-year deal; with an opt out early on.
The best years of Urias’ career are still in the future. It took him until the 2021 season to get a full year under his belt. He’ll enter the 2023 campaign with a 49-17 record and 2.82 ERA in 101 starts and 36 relief appearances.
There hasn’t been much discussion about what the future will hold for Urias. We cannot count out the Dodgers keeping him. Seeing how much money the Mets and Padres are willing to spend, even the Dodgers might get outbid.
3) NY Mets could battle the Padres to sign Shohei Ohtani
You can’t talk about the Mets and free agency without mentioning Shohei Ohtani. Potentially the highest priced free agent of all time, he is far more likely to enter the pool than Nola or Urias. He may first end up traded, but the Mets and Padres should get their crack at him in free agency.
A $500 million deal isn’t out of the question. The Mets should be the favorite over the Padres in this case simply because of how much San Diego is already paying Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. The Mets have a lot of high contracts that will expire sooner than later. Other than Francisco Lindor, nobody is on a $200+ million deal. Ohtani can change this.
Any commitment by the Padres to Ohtani could signal the end of Juan Soto’s stay in San Diego. He has yet to get his taste of the extension pie. Well on his way toward a $400+ million deal, he’s the guy that could end up on the roster of whichever team doesn’t sign Ohtani. He could end up with the Mets, stay with the Padres, or even flee for the Dodgers. Let’s not rule out the San Francisco Giants either. MLB is a game of musical chairs in the offseason when it comes to these monster free agents.
The Mets are no strangers to losing free agent battles. It happens even when there’s a blank check involved. Will they end up beating out the Padres in these potential wars? San Diego already digging their heels in and retaining players should give the Mets a slight advantage at landing whoever they make their top target.