Potential Mets free agents after the 2023 season

Oct 7, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar (10) reacts
Oct 7, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar (10) reacts / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2 of 4
Next

The New York Mets had virtually an entire rotation and bullpen to rebuild after winning 101 games. They had more free agents than I could count and are still not done reloading.

Next offseason, the list isn't quite as long but it does include many key pieces to what we all hope is a World Series-winning 2023 team.

Here're the players who could be entering free agency after the 2023 campaign.

1) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Max Scherzer

The hope is Max Scherzer enters free agency. I know that's not exactly what you want to hear, but hear me out.

Scherzer has a $43.3 million dollar player option for the 2024 campaign. If he pitches well, there's a very good chance he opts out and looks to earn more money. The Mets want him to pitch well enough so he opts out. Not because they want to lose him, but because they want him to be one of the best pitchers in baseball!

The 38-year-old had a fantastic debut season with the Mets but did deal with injury and had an abysmal playoff start. If he had the option at the end of last season to opt-out, my guess would be he wouldn't because he only made 23 starts and struggled at the end.

The Mets hope Scherzer can give them 30+ starts of ace production including another five or six in the postseason leading them to victory. If he doesn't opt out, it would've meant he wasn't as good or didn't stay healthy.

2) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Carlos Carrasco

Carlos Carrasco had his $14 million dollar club option exercised by the Mets for the 2023 campaign. This is the final year of the extension that he signed as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

It's possible Carrasco isn't even a Met by Opening Day as the team has reportedly been shopping him, but if he is, this could be his final year as a Met.

Carrasco will be entering free agency after the season. Hopefully he pitches well enough to earn a nice paycheck.

3) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Darin Ruf

Darin Ruf is another player who might not be here by Opening Day. He was brought over to the Mets to mash against left-handed pitching. He struggled mightily as a Met and will probably be booed by the fans on Opening Day if he is still here.

Ruf has a $3.5 million dollar club option for the 2024 campaign that will almost certainly be declined barring a miracle. Ruf will have to completely flip the script for the Mets to even consider picking that up.

It's possible Ruf ends up as the DH against left-handed pitching, especially after J.D. Martinez signed with the Dodgers. If that's the case, hopefully, he can do SOMETHING.

Regardless, it's even harder to picture Ruf in a Mets uniform next season than it is for this season.

4) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Eduardo Escobar

The Mets made three signings on Black Friday last offseason as they inked Mark Canha, Starling Marte, and Escobar all on that exciting day. Escobar got off to a really nice start as a Met and seemed to get on base at will before going through a four-month slump that was hard to watch.

Escobar finally caught fire in September and finished the season very strongly, winning the hearts of Mets fans in the process. Even with how well he finished, a starting job is not promised. Mets third base prospect Brett Baty should be fully healthy and ready to go for Opening Day.

Whether Baty makes the team or not is up in the air, but if he does, he won't be sitting on the bench. Baty would at the very least get the starts against right-handed pitching. If Baty isn't ready for a full-time role this season for some reason, he surely will be in 2024.

Escobar has a $9 million dollar club option for the 2024 season. I think it's very unlikely the Mets exercise that option. Escobar should be headed to free agency.

5) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Mark Canha

Mark Canha was another one of the Black Friday signings the Mets made. He had a nice year for the Mets. He stayed healthy, drew a bunch of walks (and hit by pitches), and played a decent left field. Where Canha disappointed was the power department as he only hit 13 home runs. He's hit as many as 26 in a season before.

Canha has a $12.16 million dollar club option that I'm honestly not sure what the Mets will opt to do with. If Canha has another healthy year and puts up a .360 OBP with some added power they probably exercise the option. If he gets hurt and struggles to hit for power, it's less likely.

The Mets don't have a sure answer in left field for 2024 like they do at third base.

Obviously, the hope here is that Canha has a monster year and the Mets are forced to excercize the option. It'll be interesting to see how that one plays out.

6) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: David Robertson

David Robertson signed a one-year $10 million dollar deal with the Mets this offseason. He figures to be a key set-up man for Edwin Diaz. Robertson is a guy I, and many other Mets fans were clamoring for Billy Eppler to trade for, but instead, he ended up with the division rival Phillies.

Robertson is a champion who has loads of late-game and postseason experience in New York while pitching for the Yankees.

The one-year deal for the 37-year-old means he'll be hitting free agency again no matter what.

I'm excited to see how Robertson fares after a bit of a shaky time with the Phillies.

7) Potential NY Mets free agents after the 2023 season: Omar Narvaez

Omar Narvaez was a surprise signing as the Mets already have three catchers on their 40-man roster. Narvaez is a guy the Mets reportedly were interested in at the deadline, and now they finally got their man.

One of James McCann or Tomas Nido (hopefully McCann) figures to be out the door while Francisco Alvarez, the Mets top prospect, works on his defense likely in Syracuse to begin the year.

Narvaez signed a two-year $15 million dollar deal with the second year being a player option worth $7 million dollars. If Narvaez has a good year getting primary at bats against right-handed pitching, he'll probably opt out and search for a multi-year deal elsewhere.

If he struggles like he did this past season with Milwaukee, he'll be another bad contract Mets fans complain about. I'm not really sure why they gave him two guaranteed years, but hopefully, he has a good enough season to warrant an opt-out.

Next. 5 players who deserve an A grade for the 2022 season. dark

Next