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3 reasons the Mets and Shohei Ohtani are still a perfect match in free agency
Despite their struggles this season, don't count the Mets out of the Ohtani sweepstakes just yet
With not much going right for the New York Mets this season, some fans are already looking forward to 2024, and one player in particular.
Shohei Ohtani has been outdoing himself game after game this season, putting up video game numbers that the game has never seen before. He is hitting above .300 with 31 home runs, alongside an impressive 3.01 ERA. Ohtani is already being dubbed by some as the greatest of all time, and his free agency this offseason will be sure to break records.
The Mets have been rumored to be involved from the start, and with the Los Angeles Angels unlikely to deal Ohtani, just about every team will be involved in a bidding war. While this dismal Mets season might be enough to deter Shohei away from Queens, there are still plenty of reasons why he would be a perfect fit with this team.
Above all else, the Mets would most likely pay Ohtani the most money he'll get
At the end of the day, the area where the Mets will have the biggest advantage over their competitors is with Steve Cohen's wallet.
The Mets have shown a willingness to spend in free agency under Cohen's tenure unlike any other team in major league history. With multiple players signed to $30+ million dollar contracts this season, the Mets should have no hesitation when it comes to paying Ohtani what he deserves. While it will most likely set the record for the most expensive contract in history, the Mets should have the best chance financially of matching his asking price.
From a front office perspective, paying Ohtani wouldn't be that painful on their books in the long term. The Mets will have a lot of money freed up once Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander's $43 million a year contracts end in 2024 and 2025 respectively. They will also have several other contracts off the books, such as Mark Canha, Carlos Carrasco and (finally) Robinson Cano.
Steve Cohen cannot be happy with how this Mets season as went, which will most likely incentivize him to spend even more towards a World Series ring. Who better to spend it on then the best player in baseball? Considering how bad the Mets have looked this season, the money is the best bet for convincing Ohtani to head east.
The Mets have a young core they can develop alongside Ohtani, along with some Hall of Fame mentorship next season
Ohtani has accomplished so much over the course of his MLB career that it is hard to imagine he's only 29 years old. Whichever team signs him in free agency will have multiple season of prime Ohtani, which is enough to change the course of an entire franchise.
For the Mets, having such a promising young nucleus to pair with Ohtani would work to their advantage. If Shohei wants to go to a team that has a chance of competitng for a World Series every season, that team would need to have a solid foundation, which the Mets have with Francisco Alvarez, Pete Alonso, Brett Baty and more. Pair that group with Steve Cohen's ability to spend money on more marquee free agents, and that might just be enough to convince Ohtani that the Mets are serious about contending.
In the short term, Ohtani would get some additional advice from two of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander would provide excellent mentorship for someone who is on their way to becoming one of the all time greats, and they would form one of the most high profile trios in MLB history.
Obviously the Mets lack of success in 2023 will work against them in the Ohtani sweepstakes. However, its easy to buy into the potential of these young Mets, and having a chance to work alongside Scherzer and Verlander would make Ohtani a seamless fit into the Mets current timeline.
Despite a rough season, the Mets still plan to be a "win now" team for the future, which is what Ohtani wants
No matter where Shohei Ohtani signs this offseason, it's clear that he wants to go to a team that is serious about contending for championships. The Angels haven't been able to provide this for him, with not one playoff appearance during the Ohtani era thus far. Many fans and analysts across baseball believe that without a strong showing from the Angels in the playoffs this season, Ohtani will most likely be on a new team for 2024.
While their record doesn't speak for this in 2023, the Mets are still in a position to compete for the future. They have the star power necessary to make a deep run, and Steve Cohen and the front office have shown a commitment towards putting a contender on the diamond.
Of course, the Mets can't trot out this exact same lineup next season and expect Ohtani to buy in immediately. The front office needs to make changes across the board to this team if they want to have any chance of competing, Ohtani or not. Regardless, the mentality of this team remains the same; as long as Steve Cohen is in charge, the team expects to be playing meaningful baseball in October, which has eluded Shohei in his career so far.
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