3 NY Mets players with the most to gain down the stretch

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In these final weeks of the regular season and even into the playoffs, there are certain members of the New York Mets who have a lot to gain. Everyone has the potential to add a World Series ring to their collection if they don’t already own a piece of that jewelry.

As individuals, they are playing for bigger contracts, expanded roles, and a better reputation.

It’s these three Mets who might the most to gain down the stretch of the 2022 season.

1) NY Mets starting pitcher Chris Bassitt can gain a much bigger contract with a strong finish

Chris Bassitt has been a really good member of the Mets rotation this season. He’s going to lead the team in innings pitched. The team couldn’t have asked for much more out of their number three starter who has performed more like a number two guy than anything else this year.

Bassitt is one of those later-blooming big leaguers who won’t hit free agency until right before his age 34 season. It’s far from ideal but his performance this year should reward him with some nice money in the offseason.

Bassitt is guaranteed to get a strong yet short contract in the offseason from the Mets or someone else. He was able to sign a deal with the team for next year that is a mutual option for $19 million. It’s tough to see him accepting it at this point. He would be better off getting a three-year deal than hoping to replicate the awesome season he has had in year one with the Mets.

Some solid starts in the final weeks of the regular season will go a long way toward Bassitt gaining a bigger contract. How he does in the postseason should also help. Although teams don’t pay players exclusively for what they do in the playoffs, knowing you are signing someone able to perform in a big situation like the playoffs is crucial.

Bassitt’s finish this year will determine the number of years and how crooked those numbers in his next contract are.

2) NY Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar is fighting for a starting job next year

Where does Eduardo Escobar fit in with the Mets next season? With Brett Baty already making his MLB debut and someone we could see on the Opening Day roster in 2023, this leaves Escobar out of a starting job.

Escobar hasn’t played well enough this season to justify handing him the job to begin next year automatically. One option could be for a regular platoon with Baty starting against righties. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, Escobar needs to finish the year stronger than he began it.

Because he is under contract for next year, we can expect Escobar to be on the team in some capacity. He’s able to play multiple infield positions which makes him a candidate to even become an expensive bench player. It wouldn’t be such a bad depth move to have him and Baty together while also allowing Escobar to be the backup second baseman regularly. Of course, if Luis Guillorme is still with the team, he’d also be someone else Buck Showalter could use in this role.

For sure, if Escobar slumps in the final weeks and has a miserable postseason, the Mets will want to start looking at the future instead. He has been much better since returning from the IL. Hopefully, it continues and the Mets can at least have some faith he’ll be a reliable bat for them next season.

3) NY Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom has a lot riding on this season

Jacob deGrom needs to prove one thing to everyone and that’s his health. If he can do that, his opt-out could reward him with a lot of money.

Beyond just a contract, a superb finish for deGrom can push him further up the ladder as one of the game’s greatest pitchers. We often gloat about the kind of numbers deGrom puts up but ten years after he retires it may finally sink in just how amazing his career was.

A late start, some injuries, and awful run support have done a lot of damage to deGrom’s list of accomplishments. Playing for some bad teams hasn’t helped much either. In a time period where more teams than ever before are making the postseason, it’s a shame he has only gone through one trip to the playoffs. That’ll change in 2022.

An epic postseason from deGrom might be one more notch for the Mets ace to build up what will become an interesting Hall of Fame case in another decade or so. deGrom lacks wins, innings, and a couple other statistics that compile. The other things, like ERA and strikeouts per nine, are right there with the greats or even better.

deGrom’s legacy is what’s at stake most for him. He’s going to get paid a lot by someone. Money cannot, however, buy a player a spot in Cooperstown.

Next. Top 10 prospects in the National League East right now. dark

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3 Mets players with the most to gain down the stretch

1) NY Mets starting pitcher Chris Bassitt can gain a much bigger contract with a strong finish

2) NY Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar is fighting for a starting job next year

3) NY Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom has a lot riding on this season

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