Free agents, anyone?

[batmagadanleadoff]

With the Mets finally poised to truly act and behave like a big market team for the first time in more than a decade, take a look at baseball's top free agents, linked below. And dream a little.



Top 111 Free Agents



https://sports.yahoo.com/top-111-free-agents-124637077.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/top-111-free-agents-124637077.html



SPOILER: Trevor Bauer and George Springer top this list. Marcus Stroman is ranked #7, one notch ahead of Justin Turner.

[Edgy MD]

Is there reason to think Marcel Ozuna is still capable of being an above-average centerfielder?

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: Is there reason to think Marcel Ozuna is still capable of being an above-average centerfielder?

He's 29 years old and hasn't played centerfield since 2017 when he was with Miami. And he was negative runs saved when he did.

Since then, neither St Louis nor Atlanta put him out there for even one inning.

So I wouldn't think he is.



Later

[Centerfield]

It's considered a down year for FA, but still some

good names. I like Springer a lot. And I think he can man CF for a few more years.



Hendricks is amazing and worth a look. Zack Britton might be available too.



Of the lower tier starters I'm not high on Odorrizzi or Gausman. I think Paxton could be better than he's shown. And maybe Kluber bounces back.



I liked Alex Wood last year but he didn't really do well this year.

[Centerfield]

And with the upper tier starters, I'd be wary of Bauer coming off what might be a fluke year against weak teams. I like Stroman, but not enough to give him ace money for a #3 starter. At 5'7” you'd also think he doesn't age well.

[Edgy MD]

He may age better because of less complicated mechanics. I dunno. I tend to think he's burned his bridges with the team, though.



If Springer is the primary target, it sure adds to a lot of their offensive redundancy, and they could pursue a starter via trade.

[smg58]

Getting one of the top 3 is imperative, two would be awesome.



On the whole, though, I'm expecting a lot of one-year deals league-wide.

[Edgy MD]

Well, I'm not hitching my wagon to that.



(1) What does Yahoo know? (2) The Mets needs don't always match what the best pieces available are. (3) There are thirty other teams. (4) No matter what kind of money you are playing with, there are still realities about contract length, age, and health that factor into your dealing.



Take J.T. Realmuto. On the one side, the Mets need a catcher, and he helps on both sides of the ball. On the other side, he's 30, you never want to go over three years with a catcher, but competition is going to drive him up to five years, maybe longer, and any team has to ask themselves how much risk they can incur.



He may be a good buy anyhow. And it's certainly intriguing that three of the Mets' softest spots seem to be center, catcher, and starting pitchers, and those are the positions of Yahoo's top three. So (2) is more a philosophical point than a concrete one.



Part of me is more interested in which pieces of their offense the Mets deal off. Springer would really squeeze out J.D. Davis and/or Brandon Nimmo.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I can easily imagine Nimmo and/or Rosario being traded for a starting pitcher.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Keith Law ranks his top 40 FA's for The Athletic, which is having a flash sale --- $1.00/month.



https://theathletic.com/2153856/2020/10/29/keith-law-top-40-free-agents-ranking-of-the-mlb-offseason-2020/https://theathletic.com/2153856/2020/10/29/keith-law-top-40-free-agents-ranking-of-the-mlb-offseason-2020/



Law only ranks the certain FA's, and excludes potential non-tenders. Springer's his #1 guy. Stroman's rated #4 and described as the only other pitcher in the FA class besides Bauer with a strong claim to No. 1 starter potential.



Here's Law's top 10:



1. George Springer

2. J.T. Realmuto

3. Trevor Bauer

4. Marcus Stroman

5. Marcell Ozuna

6. Marcus Semien

7. DJ LeMahieu

8. Didi Gregorius

9. Kolten Womng

10. Jackie Bradley, Jr.

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I can easily imagine Nimmo and/or Rosario being traded for a starting pitcher.

Me, too, but it'd be a shame to see the Mets futzing around with their lineup trying to replace a .400 OBP.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I can easily imagine a zillion things. The sky's the limit with an owner who can outspend the Dodgers and the Yankees. I can see Rosario starting at short in 2021, or backing up Gimenez, or platooning with Gimenez, or having his playing time severely reduced or gone to make way for Lindnor. And that's just Rosario.

"Guggenheim Partners bought the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in May 2012; the team has won the NL West in every full season since then.... L.A. has ranked in the top five in payroll ever since, leading the league from 2014-2017. The Dodgers have spent more money than any other team since 2012. That's a major reason why they've won more games [than any other team in that period]. (The Yankees have spent the second-most; they have the second best record.)

https://theathletic.com/2168128/2020/10/29/mets-francisco-lindor-offseason/https://theathletic.com/2168128/2020/10/29/mets-francisco-lindor-offseason/

[smg58]

A few cuts have already been added, most notably Brad Hand, whose $10M option was not picked up despite a 2.05 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 29/4 K/BB ratio over 22 innings in 2020.

[Frayed Knot]

Zack Britton's option picked up by the Yanx; Brett Gardner's, not.

[Centerfield]

You'd think even the Wilpons would pull the trigger on Hand. Hope he makes it to us.

[Frayed Knot]

Even if only for the wealth of Spicoli jokes.

[bmfc1]

Under the prior ownership, this might have been it for the off-season.

The Mets signed Nick Tropeano (who attended a college of some renown) and Jacob Barnes.

https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/1322272878784557059https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/1322272878784557059



https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/1322267996782551042https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/1322267996782551042

[Frayed Knot]

TBR declines Charlie Morton's option, making him a FA

He a guy who seemed to find himself in the latter part of his career. The downside to that is that he's in the latter part of his career (37 in 2 weeks)

[bmfc1]

Charlie Morton, from Flemington, NJ, would be a strong addition to the rotation (if he would take a 2-year deal). He had a 0.9 WAR in '20 but a 6.1 WAR in '19.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/charlie-morton/4676/stats?position=Phttps://www.fangraphs.com/players/charlie-morton/4676/stats?position=P

[Frayed Knot]

Ryan Braun has his option declined by the only team that's ever employed him.

The Brews opted to pay the $4mil buyout fee rather than keep him for one more season at $15



I think he might be done and he's apparently already been hinting that this past year might be it for him.

2016 was his last real good year [135 OPS+] and his last full one.

Turning 37 in a few weeks, mediocre-hitting corner OFs w/declining legs and gloves aren't a very sought

after commodity. And it's not like he brings a ton of good will to the table either.

[smg58]

Brad Brach and Dellin Betances exercised their player options. Thank you, Brodie.

[Frayed Knot]

Look at it this way, that's two fewer relievers we have to go look for this winter ... or two extra we can use as trade bait.

[smg58]

It's $8M for two relievers who combined for -0.2 WAR this past year, in a market where we could have claimed Brad Hand off waivers for $10M (PS nobody claimed him).

[Frayed Knot]

So Six potential FAs were given qualifying offers from their 2020 clubs

George Springer (HOU)

Trevor Bauer (CIN)

DJ LeMahieu (NYY)

JT Realmuto (PHI)

Kevin Gausman (SF)

Annnnnd .... Marcos Stroman

[Benjamin Grimm]

Who's the sixth?

[bmfc1]

If you believe Ken Davidoff, and there's no reason why you should, the Mets will sign Springer, Stroman, and McCann.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/01/top-mlb-free-agents-2021-ranking-and-predictions/https://nypost.com/2020/11/01/top-mlb-free-agents-2021-ranking-and-predictions/

[smg58]

Given what we already know about the market, I think Stroman would be nuts NOT to take the QO. Plus I don't think anybody would give up a draft pick for a guy who didn't pitch last year. He's back one way or the other.

[Frayed Knot]

Not that I've seen a lot of McCann, but he looks to be a good fit. 30 y/o, his offense has taken a jump over the last couple years, and he has a good reputation defensively except when it comes to pitch-framing but I'm hoping that pitch framing disappears in a year or two when we get Robo-Ump.

[metsmarathon]

I'm on board with trying to get springer. and fully expect us to be on the hook for stroman, for better or worse.



mccann? sure, as long as it's not brian. and it's a hell of a lot better an idea than yadier fucking molina, that's for damned sure.



other than relievers, which we shall always need, do we have any other significant team needs that would then go unaddressed with the above? do we need another starter, or should assuming syndergaard is healthy enough going to be enough?

[Benjamin Grimm]

We can't assume that Noah will be healthy. He may not be available until late in 2021 if at all.



If they have deGrom, Peterson, and Stroman, that's not quite enough. I'm not sure about Lugo, and pretty sure about Matz! I'd like them to bring in another starter, and I think they'll do so by trading Rosario and/or Nimmo.