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3 Mets free agents who could get $100 million contracts this offseason

By Tim Boyle |
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How many fresh $100 million deals would the New York Mets be willing to hand out? If they want to retain all of their players, they might need to be willing to give at least three of them.

The Mets have a lot of free agents this winter with some of them being a little older than the average. This won’t help them much in terms of keeping payroll down—something Steve Cohen doesn’t seem to be fearful of anyway.

It’s these three Mets free agents who should look to make bank and crack open a potential $100 million deal in the offseason.

1) NY Mets ace Jacob deGrom should get a short-term deal worth over $100 million

Nobody on the Mets roster makes more sense to get a $100 million deal this offseason more than Jacob deGrom. The Mets ace for several years now already agreed to one nine-figure deal in the past but with an opt-out he is expected to use at the end of the year, another could be headed his way.

deGrom’s free agency is something people will be watching closely this winter. He’s older than most free agents but also a lot better. He’ll look to get something closer to the deal Max Scherzer signed with the Mets this past offseason. A short-term reward with a high annual average is something that deGrom could easily get as long as he proves he can stay healthy for the rest of 2022.

It’s not hard for deGrom to get to $100 million on anything more than a two-year contract. Three years alone and an AAV over $35+ million get him there with some room to spare.

Imaging deGrom with any other team might be tough for fans at the moment. Nobody should be more motivated to sign him than Steve Cohen. We’ll have to see if any other serious contenders emerge.

2) NY Mets closer Edwin Diaz should get the first $100 million deal for a reliever

No relief pitcher in MLB history has ever gotten a $100 million deal. Edwin Diaz will look to change this in the offseason. The New York Mets closer is having a spectacular season on the mound and will hit the open market at only 28-years-old.

The stars are aligned in favor of Diaz doing the unthinkable. For working only an average of an inning per night, he could become the sport’s first relief pitcher with $100+ million guaranteed.

Relief pitchers are getting paid a lot these days and that’s not including David Price who was moved to the bullpen. Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Craig Kimbrel are all taking home over $15 million this season. Considering how much more fantastic Diaz has been and the projected performance for him in the future, he should at least come close to matching their salaries if not surpassing them entirely.

His age definitely helps. A five-year deal at $20 million might be fair enough to pay him what he has earned on the field and not hold him under control for too long if he fizzles out. A sixth year with an $18 million AAV wouldn’t be so bad either. Likely, we’d see an opt-out after two or three years tossed in as well.

3) NY Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo is worth a $100 million deal consideration

Brandon Nimmo is not having a spectacular season but that shouldn’t scare too many teams off from giving him a coveted $100 million deal. He won’t blow past it but he could crawl across the mark rather easily.

There’s one big reason for this belief. Look at the other center fielders out there. Nimmo’s mix of offense and defense has raised his reputation just in time for free agency. He’ll turn 30 in March of next season making him a candidate for something close to a five-year contract.

There are only 11 MLB outfielders with $100 million deals in 2022. One of the best comparisons is Byron Buxton. Younger but also much more injured and less accomplished than Nimmo, age might be the bigger factor in limiting Nimmo from crossing the $100 barrier.

The Mets gave Starling Marte a four-year deal worth $78 million last offseason. A similar contract with a fifth year gets Nimmo very close to $100 million. One would have to think that a few million out of Cohen’s pockets wouldn’t be something he’d fret to surrender in order to keep one of the most gifted outfielders in the game.

Other teams, too, could feel the same way about Nimmo. Center fielders aren’t hitting free agency often—especially ones able to do what Nimmo can.

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