Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Mets are admitting defeat at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Not only did they trade closer David Robertson but also star pitcher Max Scherzer, who got sent to the Texas Rangers in exchange for infield prospect Luisangel Acuña. Meanwhile, the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will resume in the offseason and the Mets' deep pockets and talented roster made them seem like frontrunners to land him. Now…not so much.
Ohtani's relationship with Mets general manager Billy Eppler, who was the GM of the Los Angeles Angels when they signed the two-way superstar out of Japan, is helpful but may not be enough to pull it off. The chances that Ohtani comes to the Mets get slimmer as their awful 2023 season goes on.
Seeking a competitive environment with a preference for staying on the West Coast means that New York misses out on two big criteria points for being an ideal Ohtani destination. They still have a lot of very good players that could help the team turn it around in 2024. But the promise of maybe being good again is surely not going to be among the best pitches that Ohtani hears this winter.
The Mets dealing Scherzer may offer a crumb of help in their pursuit for Ohtani, aside from the fact that they now have a spot open at the top of their rotation. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand points out that the payroll they cleared in the deal could be put toward Ohtani.
“One other thing to think about: Even as they’re paying down Scherzer’s hefty salary, the Mets cleared $22.5 million in payroll, which might very well be used in Cohen’s attempt to sign impending free agent Shohei Ohtani this offseason,” writes Feinsand.
That amount of money will probably amount to roughly half of one year of whatever multi-year deal Ohtani signs. But at least it's some contract relief that owner Steve Cohen can use to pursue Ohtani. The Mets owner has not been shy at all when it comes to ponying up money in free agency and that shouldn’t change with the best player in baseball (maybe ever).
It goes without saying that Ohtani will demand a ton of money and massively benefit whatever team he goes to. But can the Mets compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are measurably more talented than the Mets? Or even the Angels, who showed a desire to compete harder for the postseason by acquiring former All-Star Lucas Giolito? Even the San Francisco Giants, owners of a top-five record in the National League, stand to have a better shot than the Mets, who don’t even crack the top 10.
The Mets parting ways with their veterans in order to land good prospects — a plan that should continue with the likes of Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley, Mark Canha and even Justin Verlander potentially being moved — is the smart way to approach a deadline in which they have fleeting playoff hopes. But a superstar like Ohtani will observe these moves as a franchise openly saying it isn’t ready to compete for a World Series in short order.
Why would the biggest superstar in baseball hitch his wagon to a team like the Mets? On top of their willingness to pay him his desired contract, it's because, despite their performance in 2023, New York has hope in the form of numerous stars, even those who are mired in down years.
Just last season, the Mets were a 101-win team. Stars like Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are still there and playing well. Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte have been brutal in 2023 but were both All-Stars just last season. Verlander shook off a rough start to the season and now has a 3.24 ERA on the year. Rookies Kodai Senga and Francisco Alvarez inspire hope for the immediate future.
Truth be told, Shohei Ohtani is likely to sign with a team that isn’t the Mets this offseason. But the Max Scherzer trade offers up a sliver of help for the front office as they look to make one of the biggest free-agency splashes in sports history.
