The Mets stumbled down the stretch, dropping out of the playoff race with a disappointing final couple of months. That wasn’t the fault of their marquee trade deadline acquisition, though, as Javier Báez lived up to expectations. Acquired from the Cubs on deadline day, Báez hit a fantastic .299/.371/.515 with nine homers in 186 plate appearances for the Mets.
Báez seemingly made a strong impression in his couple of months in the organization, and Andy Martino of SNY suggests there’s a legitimate possibility he and the club agree to a long-term deal relatively early into the offseason, although he cautions that the club has not yet put forth a formal extension offer. A return to the Mets would mean Báez moving permanently to second base, as Francisco Lindor already has shortstop accounted for in Flushing for the next decade.
This summer, Báez already showed some willingness to move off shortstop in deference to Lindor. While he started his Mets’ tenure at short while Lindor was recovering from an oblique issue, Báez slid over to the keystone for the season’s final five weeks. Assuming he’s willing to play second base regularly moving forward, he’d likely be a plus defender at the position who’s more than capable of sliding back over to shortstop if injuries and/or rest days necessitate.
An early-offseason strike of this magnitude by the Mets would be quite a surprise, since the club’s new president of baseball operations is yet to be determined. Signing a marquee free agent to a significant contract before or almost immediately after the hiring of the team’s new baseball operations leader would be an odd decision, but Martino writes that Báez has commanded the respect of owner Steve Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson.
Not only were Mets’ higher-ups impressed by Báez’s performance, according to Martino, they were also struck by his accountability for the now-infamous “thumbs down” saga. With the team reeling after the trade deadline, discontentment mounted and the Mets often faced plenty of criticism from their own fans. In response, some Mets players — Báez included — used a “thumbs down” celebration after certain plays to symbolically return the boos to their own fanbase. The behavior led to a stern rebuke from Alderson and a needless controversy, but Martino writes that Báez’s willingness to accept responsibility for the situation allowed the sides to put the matter behind them.
Celebration controversy aside, it’s easy to understand why Báez’s play apparently made such a strong impression on Cohen and Alderson. At his best, he’s a high-end defensive middle infielder and impact power threat, to say nothing of the obvious energy and flair he brings to an organization. In three of the past four seasons, Báez has posted above-average marks on both sides of the ball en route to campaigns valued at around four or five wins above replacement by both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.
That impact potential makes Báez one of the key members of this offseason’s famously star-studded shortstop class. Still, he’s not in position to land the top-of-the-market deals of players like Carlos Correa or Corey Seager, as Báez has been prone to bouts of offensive inconsistency. His numbers in last year’s shortened season (.203/.238/.360 over 235 plate appearances) were awful. And while Báez finished this past season on a tear, he wasn’t great over the year’s first few months.
In 361 plate appearances with the Cubs prior to being traded, the 28-year-old (29 in December) hit .248/.292/.484. That’s roughly league average production, by measure of wRC+, with Báez’s impact power largely offset by a poor on-base percentage. In spite of his strong finish, it’s fair to question how reliably teams can count on Báez reaching base moving forward. He struck out in 33.6% of his plate appearances in 2021 while walking just 5.1% of the time, an essentially unparalleled combination for an above-average hitter. And over the past two seasons, no other hitter (minimum 500 plate appearances) has swung and missed at a higher percentage of pitches seen.
Báez’s somewhat enigmatic combination of elite power/glovework and perhaps the game’s most overaggressive approach makes him one of the most difficult players on the market to value. Martino suggests he could land a guarantee in the $150MM — $200MM range, although it’d frankly register as a surprise if any team were willing to commit that heavily to a player with such significant swing-and-miss concerns. Even if a $150MM+ deal for Báez would appear unlikely, it seems more plausible teams could push the bidding up over $100MM. That’d still be a significant investment, whether it comes from the Mets or another club.
The crosstown Yankees could be a fit, as they’re generally expected to be involved in the bidding for some of the top free agent shortstops. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman flatly acknowledged this afternoon the club “(has) to address” the position in some manner this winter, with former shortstop Gleyber Torres now viewed as a second baseman. Martino reports the Yankees were “aggressive” in their pursuit of Báez via trade before he landed with the Mets this summer, and there’d certainly be some merit to considering another run at him in free agency over the coming weeks and months.
TradeAcuna
Use your money wisely Mets!
Al Hirschen
Mets should sign Baez Kris Bryant and brake the bank for Mad Max
YankeesBleacherCreature
Degrom, Robbie Ray, Stroman, and Thor, and Walker.
imissjoebuzas
I don’t see Stroman coming back to the Mets. The Yankees could use a starter and Stroman seems comfortable in NYC, and taking him away from their crosstown rivals might be back page worthy news too.
Stan 2
I don’t think stroman will come to the Yankees after the comments by Cashman about him not being a difference maker
Sheep8
Get Rizzo too so you can have some underperforming stars on your team to go with Mad Max
PutPeteinthehall
Why not swap Cano for Heyward while you’re at it.
Steve Nebraska
The Mets can’t use their money wisely. They don’t know how. If they could they wouldn’t be Mets.
86mets
Momma always said if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything. Real classy comments @stevenebtaska
meckert
Get a life.
fisher40
The Mets are the biggest dumpster fire in baseball
Halo11Fan
With few exceptions, every thread about every team someone writes a similar post.
You would think people would be more original? Maybe not, being original requires thought. People who pose such hyperbole seldom think..
opranger
Yeah, that’s going happen?
fox471 Dave
Scherzer will stay in LA.
The Mets "Missed WAR"
Didn’t Duvall get multiple RBI’s against the Dodgers yesterday? I agree he has been pretty terrible so far during the playoffs but he looks like he just started to heat up. Seems like a bad time to pull him from the lineup. I’m also not sure Pache would hit at all. That’s a lot of weight to put on a player who has literally never hit well at the major league level. Now you want to count on him to start doing it all of a sudden in the Championship Series? Seems counterintuitive. For the record I do like this name better than your other ones. It seems more strategic and less pessimistic. This is the first time in years I’ve seen you even slightly optimistic about the Braves. I wanted to know your opinion in something though. If this series goes 7 games and the Braves dominate their next home game but lose all the others by 1 run in extra innings, do you still think Snitker should be fired for not taking the Braves to the World Series? I know it would suck but that’s still a tall order for any team. The Dodgers are a very good team. On paper they are probably the best team in baseball. Snitker irritates me sometimes with his bullpen choices but firing a manager for going 3-4 against the Dodgers in the NLCS seems a little harsh.
rparker68
Then You would be like the Cubs, play .500 ball and be a underachieving team
Dogbone
Buyer Beware.
imissjoebuzas
Caveat emptor. Nice reference, Dogbone. I would rather take Marcus Semien on a shorter and less expensive deal, save some cash for going after a very good starter and a good right fielder and continue to develop Brett Baty and Ronnie Mauricio. They have too many holes to fill to park a Brinks truck at second base. They made a budget-anchoring choice at shortstop last year, and their cash should be used elsewhere on the diamond.
icantstandyous
Very wise to sign a guy to play out of position when you already have 2 second baseman. Oh and by the way, wouldn’t it make sense to wait until you hire a head of baseball OPS and GM before you make these types of decision.
icantstandyous
Btw it’s not like they have glaring holes elsewhere on the field….Muts
Steve Nebraska
So Baez put a thumbs down to his own fans and the Mets front office likes him more because he showed accountability for it? Can I just go punch someone in the face and admit it was wrong and that will make them like me more? What a wonderful world it must be to be a Mets player. Even when they lose.
VonPurpleHayes
Exactly Steve. It’s ridiculous that the fans and front office are willing to overlook that whole fiasco. I get that they’re stuck with Lindor, but they can easily move on from Baez.
Robrock30
VonPurpleHayes,
I seem to usually agree with you. I don’t forgive what Lindor and Baez did with their thumbs down circus act disrespecting the fans. I have more respect for Bobby Bonilla and yes I was in the House when he was loudly booed yet he never disrespected the Fans in this manner. He just resorted to wearing earplugs and shrugged it off. Bobby Bonilla certainly got the last laugh with his retirement payout. LOL
VonPurpleHayes
@Robrock30 Exactly. Players get booed all the time. Two guys who played in New York for a few months took offense to it immediately. It’s just weak. Mets fans deserve better. And it’s frustrating that these two guys are just going to be rewarded with mega-contracts.
I never got the Bobby Bonilla hate. As a Phillies fan, I saw the same thing with Ryan Howard. It’s not the players fault they got overpaid and therefore had impossible expectations. Respect to Bonilla for never turning on the fanbase.
sfes
@Vonpurplehayes I remember watching live on TV when Bobby Bo dove for a fly ball in RF and broke his ribs. Loved him as a kid. Never got the hate.
johnrealtime
I wish I cared about anything as much as random fans care about Baez and Lindor giving the thumbs down
VonPurpleHayes
It’s less about the act itself and more about the weakness of character. Athletes are of course human, and I personally don’t believe in booing, but Lindor, Baez and co. really showed that they don’t understand their market and fanbase.
BeforeMcCourt
I enjoy making fun of the Mets as much as the next guy, but the answer for the Cano problem is the assumption that the DH is coming
Cosmo2
The answer to the Cano problem is eating the money and saying goodbye
Canosucks
Cosmo2 right on buddy!
Samuel
“…..the answer for the Cano problem is the assumption that the DH is coming.”
Not really.
Alanzo is a poor 1B, he hurts them there. Dom Smith is a decent 1B, but a poor LF – made worse as Citi Field’s LF is larger than most. JD Davis is a disaster no matter where he plays on D – when the ball finds him the momentum of the game often goes to the opposing team. IF the DH is brought into the NL, the Mets need it for those guys – assuming they keep both Smith and Davis.
Not mentioned in the article is that Baez would be a solid glove at 2B, and could back up Lindor again at SS when he goes out with an injury. In turn, that frees up McNeil to play elsewhere – 3B (his best position), LF or RF, which will be needed if they lose Conforto.
The next 2-3 years of the Mets fortunes will depend on youngsters in the farm system. In the meantime they need to clean up their D. I’d suggest that Robinson Cano will be the Mets parallel to the Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury situation – with the difference being that Ellsbury was injured, his physical presence wasn’t toxic, yet still the Yankees paid his salary and kept him away.
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
@Samuel
Alonso was actually pretty decent at 1B this season (5 DRS, 2 OAA). He does have a tendency to make a few overly aggressive/foolish plays on occasion, but he hits enough that you can live with it.
Dogbone
@Samuel
Your description of the Mets having issues on the defensive side of the ball, having an abundance of DH types- is very very similar to the Chisox.
VonPurpleHayes
I noticed a huge improvement with Alonso defensively. He’s never going to win any gold gloves, but he’s okay out there now. I think the Mets should move Dom Smith. Not because he’s bad, but because they have no room for him.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Baez can play anywhere and make it look like his natural position he grew up playing CF
Kemajic
He looks so natural striking out. NYYs please stay away, we already have a roster full of guys like that.
Samuel
“He looks so natural striking out.”
@ Kemajic;
Maybe so. But look at the bright side……
Cahman’s “analytical people” will assure him that Baez and Joey Gallo will be tiring opposing Pitchers out and pushing them to their pitch limit when K’ing.
Watching Cashman trying to learn analytics each year is one of the more humorous things I observe in MLB. He doesn’t have a grasp of the total picture so he works through it step-by-step. When he gets an aspect of the team under control, another that he thought was under control springs a leak.
SpendNuttinWinNuttin
He looks great when he K’s too
tidybowlman
He’s not out of position in the spirit of why people criticize that. He’s not worse at 2B. He’s a gold glove.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
He’s been snubbed a lot at SS. He should have at least 4 or 5 GG’s by now. It’s ridiculous that Nick Ahmed won a gold glove over him a few years ago.
ctyank7
Mets are stuck with post -PED-suspension Robinson Cano for two more years — at ages 39 and 40 — at a guaranteed 20 million annually. BVW’s lingering legacy of desperation and failure.
stymeedone
Its one thing if they are going to pay Cano to just go away, but if not, this would make little sense. Still, I am hoping someone pays him before the Tigers look his way. Too many strikeouts for my liking.
bucsfan0004
It feels like Baez will be an overpaid Met for a long time.
Canosucks
The Mets will be throwing good money (Baez) after bad and the bad money was extending Lindor. So end result more bad money and less pitching and another bad year.
hiflew
There is still the big money man that is Robbie Cano still on the roster. Unless someone on the Mets gets the bright idea to secretly slip him PEDs so his contract would be voided on a third strike. People have done stranger things for far less money than is due Cano.
13Morgs13
Just hoping the Phillies sign one of the top SS on the market. I prefer Story myself.
Smacky
No one cares
MLB Top 100 Commenter
A lot of people care about a good story.
bucsfan0004
There’s a good story in Coors, bad story elsewhere
Rsk3228
I do
Get Off My Mound
I care. So he’s wrong.
sfes
You’d prefer Story over Seager? The Phils are a couple of players away from winning the NL East. I’m a little nervous about it.
Bill Kane
Story would be a disaster on the phillies. His numbers out of Colorado are not good.
JoeBrady
Story’s career road OPS is .752. His career OPS at Philly is .953. The league road OPS this year is only .707. I’d be pretty surprised i he didn’t quite well in Philly.
Robrock30
LOL Mets!
The underperforming overpaid Lindor wants his buddy to play 2B alongside him.
Just appoint Lindor as the new POBO and end the charade for a POBO search.
By the way what happens when Cano returns and wants to play 2B and set records and what about Jeff McNeil who plays best as a 2B?
Big Thumbs Down!
tidybowlman
You’re obviously not a Mets fan, because if you were, you’d know Lindor played fine after a bad start.
Robrock30
Bowlman,
A .230 BA is good to you? He was heartily booed by the fans for a reason LOL
Canosucks
Lindor as I predicted on this board only played a little better when the heat was off and the Mets were out of it. He will not play well next year when it counts but if the Mutts keep going along the way they are they will be out of it even earlier next year because the East won’t suck so bad; I am a long times Mets fan.
JoeBrady
The casual fans don’t keep up. After May, Lindor had a .822 OPS. I’d have an expectation that he will return to an AS level next year. Even with the slow start and the injury, he still had a 3.1 bWAR.
Robrock30
Joe Brady,
I am certainly not a casual fan as I watch nearly every Game and have been watching since mid 60’s and had full Season Mets tickets at Shea Stadium during the 80’s into the 90’s when I practically lived at Shea. Lindor had a .734 OPS and you cherry pick his OPS since May which is disingenuous as Lindor missed most of July & August so that only leaves June and Garbage time in September when he played well. LOL
sfes
It’s actually not that hard to find.
baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=lindo…
June: .241/.311/.454 107 OPS+
July: .333/.489/.500 173 OPS+
August: .160/.160/.280 (only 7 games played)
Sept/Oct: .257/.346/.549 141 OPS+
So yes he was much better in the 2nd half after his historically abysmal April and May.
JoeBrady
The stats since May aren’t cherry picked. Tidybowlman said “Lindor played fine after a bad start.”, so the bad start was baked into his opinion. By referencing his full-year stats, after Tidy acknowledged his bad start, is cherry-picking.
That said, I study these things because I like playing fantasy BB. Part of my process is to look for bounce-back candidates, I’m expecting Lindor to have 25 HRs, 20 SBs, and a .285 average, and I am hoping that everyone else is basing their opinion of him based on his bad start.
JoeBrady
sfes
… after his historically abysmal April and May.
==============================
Actually, even his May was not abysmal. His overall May OPS was .637, but his BABIP was .225. For those of us that believe that BABIP usually reverts back to the career numbers, his BABIP-adjusted OPS is more like .771.
Cosmo2
Cano doesn’t factor in. He can warm the bench or go home.
Robrock30
Cano is under contract for 2 more years and has all time leading stats as a 2B.
I believe he wishes to establish records as a 2B and the Players Association will be involved as he has served his suspensions in accordance with the CBA.
Rick Wilkins
He may “wish to establish records at 2B”, but the Mets are under no obligation to let him chase those records. Frankly, if he even publicly said he was interested in establishing those records, he would shredded by all involved, as his numbers are more tainted than most dopers. At this point, his name on any record is useless anyway. He’s a 38 year old, 2 time loser. Definitely a part time player moving forward, if not a release candidate. Cohen has zero emotional attachment to him, and he’s a sunk cost already.
Robrock30
Roy DeMeo,
Cano had a very productive 2020 shortened Season prior to his 2021 suspension and was viewed as a Team Leader which Lindor & Baez weren’t.
Cosmo2
Cano is coming off a suspension and like a million years old. No reason to expect starter level production out of him. Let him go for his records with someone else. He’s definitely not their starting second baseman next year. That would make no sense.
sfes
It’s ironic because he pissed away his HOF chances most likely, and that would be why he’d insist on playing 2B, to pad those stats and work on his now crapped away HOF case. But I don’t see even Uncle Stevie paying Cano to sit on the bench or go home. (For 2 years no less)
Cosmo2
I think at this point anyone would be willing to pay Cano to just go away. Too much crap under the bridge or something. The money is just a sunk cost, it’s over, they have to pay it, no use trying to squeeze value from it. I’d be shocked if Cano is their starting second baseman. They’re going to have one of the highest payrolls in the game, no way they can afford to tank it at an entire position, money owed or not.
Canosucks
Cano was only productive because of PED’s are you freaking kidding me! Team leader who did not run the bases and you can watch a play when Davis slid into second base trying to break up the double play and looked back and Cano was still at home and J.D. slammed his fist down at the base! Another play where Cano never ran out of the box went back to the dugout and not ONE Met player would even look at him and you call that leadership! Guy is a 2 time loser and the Mets should pay him, keep him on the roster for 2 years as they have no obligation to let him play and give him no at bats for the rest of his 2 years. If he doesn’t like it then break the contract.
BeforeMcCourt
It’s nice to want things. No one really cares what he wants
His only complaint will be if they stop cutting checks
sfes
Lots of Mets bashing on this thread, but this article is pure speculation. No one had indicated that they would extend Baez before they fix the FO. They can’t even do so until after the World Series, correct?
BeforeMcCourt
Why not? They could especially if announced between series. It’s not a halt, it’s general courtesy to delay announcements during the playoffs
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
Cano can shut up and play, he’s lucky he makes too much money to get released. And while I don’t think you can give up on McNeil completely yet, it’s hard to justify guaranteeing him a starting job at 2B right now.
Cosmo2
I don’t see why so many folks think Cano can’t or won’t be released.
BeforeMcCourt
48 million reasons. You don’t become a billionaire by throwing away 50m. What’s confusing? It’s terrible business
Cosmo2
How is it terrible business to IMPROVE the team? Cano could very well be what is called a sunk cost. Allowing it to eat resources just because you can’t get out of paying for it is terrible business. I think you are confused, Cohen is smart enough to know when to cut his losses. He loses NOTHING by cutting Cano. But he GAINS a roster spot. Good businessman don’t allow something to drag down the value of their product just because they’re still obligated to throw money at it.
JoeBrady
It’s terrible business
===============================
I bought some pizza a few weeks ago, and put one of the slices away in the fridge. Now, should I keep that dried up slice of pizza, or throw it away because I paid $4 for it?
In this case, do you start Cano over McNeil, because your investment in Cano is higher? If you start McNeil, do you keep Cano on the bench with no contributions? Or do you keep a legitimate UIF that plays multiple positions?
And I am not saying that you couldn’t keep Cano, only that you cannot keep Cano over a superior player, simply because you paid more for Cano.
BeforeMcCourt
200 million for Baez? A flawed player for a flawed organization. Wow
ChiSox_Fan
Baez is an ex-Cub!
Enuff said!
I wouldn’t sign him.
agrorolm
How ’bout good ol’ whitey soxies, eh??? Weren’t they supposed to rule the world, at least for a decade? What a shame of a team, as you are as a fan. Get downstairs to your basement, and continue with your misarable life. As I always say: you are a frustrated ex-Cubs “fan”, (fan when they won it all in 2016) and nobody cares when you switched teams (neither your wife), and gained an A.D.D. syndrome. Poor old man, nobody cares about you. I answer to your post as a good charity, just to make you feel “good”, since nobody reacts to your posts. You should be grateful to me.
sfes
Wow such animosity! Yikes, almost sound as salty as “MarlinsFanBase”
SpendNuttinWinNuttin
You take this site to heart don’t ya bud? Honestly, you’re reply is the most pitiful on any thread.
sfes
Yeah that was uncalled for.
CalcetinesBlancos
agrorolm-
I thought I was a big Sox fan, but your passion for them puts me to shame.
-CB
agrorolm
Only thing I can say, not a WSox fan.
agrorolm
Only thing I can say, not a WSox fan.
ryrockak
Dear Mets, don’t give Baez 200 + mill, sincerely Cubs fan.
0523me
Dear Mets, please give Baez 200 + mill, sincerely the rest of the NL East
MarlinsFanBase
I approve @0523me’s comment. But I’m hoping they give Baez $300 million. Conforto should get $250 million. Stroman should get $200 million.
bobbyvwannabe
2022
1B Alonso
2B Baez
SS Lindor
3B Baty
LF Nimmo
CF Marte
RF Conforto
C Nido
Cosmo2
Baty is nowhere near MLB ready and that’s too much money spent without even addressing the pitching side of things. An expensive disaster there.
ctyank7
Does Cano or D Smith DH?
Freddie Morales
Mets will keep Baez, sign Correa, and Beltran will be the manager.
Get Off My Mound
No, nope, and not even close.
JayKay
What a magical prediction(s).
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Baez is worth more because he is fun to watch. You pay a premium for him like Tatis and Ohtani.
But . . . he is not Tatis or Ohtani. In the field and on the base-paths, Baez makes the incredible plays look easy but sometimes has errors on routine plays. But there are two bigger issues, his strikeout rate is way too high and where do you put Robinson Cano unles there is a DH. You can always move the squirrel to 3B or outfield.
What is Baez worth giving him a bonus for being fun to watch.
I would offer him four years at $100 million with an opt-out after every season. If he can get more than that, play Cano and play Jeff MacNeil. The Mets are going to need money for two starting pitchers and one outfielder anyway. The bottom line is that you have alreadypaid for Cano, nobody else will take Cano, and Cano will probably hit ok unless he gets suspended again.
I think Baez is a long shot fit for the Cubs or Rockies but again only at 4 years and $100 million. And mostly to sell tickets not to put those two teams in pennant contention.
CalcetinesBlancos
It’s funny how one Pirates hitter forgets to run to first base and the entire baseball world goes nuts lol.
LaBalaDePlata
Baez is fun to watch? Somebody might give him $100 million, just hope it isn’t my team.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
You think they’ll have 3 SS on the roster? Correa is going to want SS, same with Lindor, and Javy is ok with 2B but then that creates a problem. Say Correa takes 3B, and Javy takes 2B, what then with Cano? I believe McNeil plays better at 2B as well, although I’ve seen him makes some nice plays in the OF so I guess he could play more OF but still. What happens with Cano? How do they make that work?
wildboyz
Cano will be the highest paid bench bat in the league, if they don’t just buy him out and wash their hands of it.
agrorolm
I am not saying if Mets should or shouldn’t get these three together (I don’t care anything about the Mets, really). But, if you watched any game of the last World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico’s team had Correa at 3b, Lindor at SS, and Baez at 2b…Just sayin’..
agrorolm
And also, all the best F.A. in the market, as they always do.
citizensbankparksouth
MLBTR, I love you, but you NEED to relax with the hedging. I know it’s your style, but you’re taking it way, way too far.
for example, WHAT ON EARTH does this paragraph mean?
“it’d frankly register as a surprise if any team were willing to commit that heavily to a player with such significant swing-and-miss concerns. Still, there’s little question that Báez will command a large contract of some kind this winter, whether from the Mets or another club.”
so, you are saying it’d register as a surprise if something of little question happened.
I understand you’re attempting to offer nuanced insight. I like that. we all do. this site is one of the best baseball sites on the Internet. But, you are hewing far too strictly to your style. this extreme type of hedging is utterly meaningless and frankly bewildering. don’t be so paralyzed about committing yourself to an opinion.
bucsfan0004
Probably trying to get to a certain word count. ♂️
bjsguess
It’s not nuanced – you just didn’t read it right. They are simply saying that there is speculation by a writer that he might sign for something in the $150-200m range. MLBTR believes that he could still sign a big deal (say $100m) which would register as significant but far less than the speculation from the other writer.
JoeBrady
They are simply saying that there is speculation by a writer that he might sign for something in the $150-200m range.
==================================
They aren’t saying that, because they didn’t say that. What they did say was:
“a surprise if any team were willing to commit that heavily ……. there’s little question that Báez will command a large contract ”
It’s not a big deal, but if that isn’t hedging, what is? Had he put some numbers in it, like, “he is unlikely to command $200M, but could easily get $100M, then it is fine. But he’s basically saying that no one will invest heavily, but they will give him a large contract.
It’s like my boss telling me to settle an issue no matter what I have to do, but don’t spend much money on it. This is why I am commenting. This is crap I’ve heard from less competent bosses. They would say things like ‘we have to finish project B ASAP. But when I ask whether B takes precedent over A, they’ll say ‘of course not, A has to be finished first.” Language should be a little more precise.
BeforeMcCourt
One is commentary another writers opinion, the 150-200m comment, while acknowledging he’s likely earning decent money, say 80-120M overall. What’s the difficulty?
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I think what they wanted to say is that with his stats $150 to $200 million would be going off the rails on a crazy train, but they still think it is pretty likely to happen.
I don’t think he will get that kind of money. Post-pandemic and with the negotiations coming up, if Baez is signed early on it will be for way less. But still more than Will Craig will get next year.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
The pandemic didn’t hit owners as hard as they claim. These are people with pretty deep pockets and a bunch of them make smart business moves so they’re fine
Chris the Great
It’s another example of how so many have lost the ability to write, combined with a lack of an editor.
Inside Out
Speaking of an inability to write…
sfes
Not only that but this is all wild speculation. Why would they extend him before filling out the front office? Don’t they have to wait until after the World Series anyway?
Anthony Franco
It wasn’t designed to be a hedge (or to artificially bump up a word count, ha). The point was to convey that while we do expect Báez to land a significant deal, the figures we’ve been kicking around internally ($80-100MM) are nowhere near what Martino floats in his piece ($150-200MM).
I can see how you and some others interpreted it as just walking back the previous sentence, though, since it probably was too abrupt a transition. I added another sentence to flesh out what I meant to get at a little more clearly.
CalcetinesBlancos
Basically they are saying that sane people would laugh if anyone was dumb enough to commit $150MM — $200MM to Baez, but as we’ve seen before some GM’s don’t mind spending absurd amounts of not their money on mediocre players.
Paulie Walnuts
Regardless of owner, the Mets are a dumpster fire. Move the team to Montreal.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Montreal? Why not somewhere in the US where there isn’t another team?
Cohens_Wallet
Let the hate begin
Cohens_Wallet
Wait, it already began. WOW LOL
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
8/175 an opt out after 4 if he averages 25 HRs and 85 RBI the first 3 years. Option for a 9th if he doesn’t opt out after 4.
iverbure
Under the current cba I don’t think you can put those kind of incentives in a contract.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Maybe there’s a work around. Honestly knowing Baez. He probably won’t able to achieve those averages. So then no incentives and just the opt out after 4 years and an option for a 9th or 10mil buyout.
BeforeMcCourt
Why not?
It’s a vesting option
sdbaseballguy
Can’t have such specific vesting stats. Only allowed AB’s, games played, starts etc….
CalcetinesBlancos
Eight years? For Baez? Not even the Mets are dumb enough to do that.
Ronk325
Now Andy Martino suggests Báez is going to get nearly double what he’s worth and also the Yankees went aggressively after him at the deadline, a complete lie. Again why does anyone still think that clown is a reputable source?
Gratefuljim
What a mistake that would be. McNeil at 2B and get a star 3B ( Kris Bryant). The outfield is than Nimmo and two new players. How about Dodgers Taylor all around guy? Than Starling Marte. Conforto on short contract or be gone.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Cano is at 2B or DH. McNeil at 3B or OF. How about Chris Taylor or Jorge Soler? Conforto is gone. Maybe Kole Calhoun to a cheap one-year deal, say $2 million, as a backup outfielder. Stroman and Gausman?
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Soler sucks, Calhoun can’t hit very consistently, Chris Taylor is hit or miss in clutch spots and is pretty streaky, and Gausman won’t leave SF. Gausman was stoked to come back to SF for this season, even turning down 4+ year deals to stay on a QO. Also, he has an easy spot in the SF rotation with catchers he likes and other teammates, such as Webb, that he likes as well. He and Webb are really close and he has history with Casali, who I would imagine is sticking around another year.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
So you agree with Marcus Stroman coming back? LOL
Cosmo2
“Chris Taylor is hit or miss in clutch spots”… ummm, so is literally everyone.
Cosmo2
Stroman is very good, why not bring him back?
sfes
I don’t see the Mets giving him 5 years. And that seems to be where most are predicting him to end up at
Cosmo2
Why is Cano in the lineup? He doesn’t deserve to be and the money owed isn’t forcing anyone’s hand on anything.
sfes
@Cosmo2 you think we’ll really give Stro 5 years? Would you be comfortable with that? Don’t get me wrong, he’s solid but I don’t see him taking the step forward that Wheeler did.
Cosmo2
I’d give Stroman 5 years. He doesn’t need to take any steps forward he’s already a solid number two starter. Even a mid rotation innings eater with a decent ERA is worth a ton in this day and age. I’d give Stroman five years, 110 million easily. He may very well get more than that though.
sfes
True. Good points. I guess the idea of paying a SP into their age 35+ seasons worries me if their name isn’t deGrom or Scherzer
revolver
Bryant is not a star.
DanielDannyDano
I really hope the Mets sign Baez to a 10 year contract with a massive AAV.. The salary will saddle the payroll and secure the Mets a third place finish every year.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Why do you assume that the Mets cannot finish in fourth or fifth place?
Mets record in games started by deGrom in 2021 was 11-4, their records in all other games was 66-81. I hope deGrom is healthy in 2022. But if he is not, the Mets could easily finish lower than in third place.
joeyrocafella
Your “opinion” sounds kind of silly. This whole comment is just useless and pointless
jakec77
Unless the payroll is going to be $300 million, spending big money on Baez doesn’t make sense. There are too many other holes that need filling.
mumsy01
Big Mets fan. They deserve all of the ridicule. They are a joke until they aren’t.
Chris the Great
By moving to second he is losing value. Why would steam pay SS money for a 2B?
30 Parks
Baez’s long swing is concerning.
MarlinsFanBase
Not for the teams that get to play against him.
30 Parks
Perspective, MarlinsFB – good point.
MarlinsFanBase
I can’t wait to hear @MetsFan22’s take on this.
I would like to hear @whynot and @sfes’ takes on this, but they clearly only come out when it’s safe and the weather looks fine for the moment.
sfes
You’re an idiot. Really, though. Metsfan22 has turds for brains. I’ve been paying for Mets season tickets even during nightmare years like 2003, and even in bad years we still draw more than your team that isn’t even acknowledged by its own city. You disappeared for 2/3 of the season. In fact I was still posting predicting your return when the Mets fell out of first, and sure enough you crawled back out of the sewer. Maybe you should point your fair weather fan claims where they belong. Grow up, dude.
sfes
I’ve spent a lifetime tortured by this damned team. I watch every damned pitch and still show up at the park when they are the dregs of the league. Claims like this twist my sack because I live and die with my team. You want to see my takes? Actually read them instead of claiming I’m a fair weather fan. I’ve been posting here since like 2005 or 2006ish. Call me wherever you want. But fair weather, hardy. There never is any for this team. You spend your days obsessing over MetsFan22 who’s most likely a 10 year old kid who can’t even spell his own name. Congrats. At least the kid sticks around for the embarrassment when his team tanks. You vanished while the Mets were in first and *poof* back when they fell out. Your obsession is really disturbing.
Flyby
i thought we determined MarlinsFanBase is actually MetsFan22 and just arguing with themselves to make themselves seem like they are both relevant? Its pretty obvious since they both happen to appear around the same time.
With regards to the actual article, until the DH for NL has been decided i dont see how we could work with Baez on the team. We have basically 3 2nd baseman at that point with Baez, Cano, and McNeil with a lesser extent to Giullorme. One of Baez, McNeil, Giullorme might move to 3rd base but then you displace Davis along with still having smith in the of.
sfes
Not to mention the farm system needs improvement and the Mets all ready have a bunch of square pegs for round holes. Too much redundancy. They all ready need to invest in at least two starting pitchers and possibly an outfielder. Davis I see as a DH or corner OF if he’s still on the club next year. And yes he definitely uses multiple accounts, but wow, fantastic theory!
MarlinsFanBase
@Flyby
Definitely not @MetsFan22. I don’t make predictions from Hades.
Flyby
@marlinsfanbase
Didnt you predict the marlins to not only beat the mets in the standing but also make the playoffs again? I mean thats a pretty hades prediction and also something metsfan22 would do and my guess is you will say if they didnt have injuries they would have beat the mets and maybe the division (ala metsfan22)
MarlinsFanBase
@sfes
Don’t make stuff up. I’ve been here all season long. If you were here, you would have noticed.
And funny how you didn’t post on this article until I called you out. I will give you credit though. You at least came back unlike @whynot who has disappeared seemingly until the Mets make what he perceives to be a major acquisition.
SpendNuttinWinNuttin
It’d be HYSTERICAL if the Yankees sign Baez to play short. Almost like they don’t have 7 of the streakiest hitters in the MLB in their starting 9 already. Lateral move at best lol
joeyrocafella
What happens with Cano?
Cosmo2
Cano can be someone else’s problem. Not sure why everyone seems to thing this is such a big issue. Just release him. Not getting value out of that contract anyway, just cut your losses. It’s really not a big mystery or very complicated, just say goodbye.
sfes
@Cosmo2 Is there a bad contract swap anywhere that would work?
Cosmo2
I really doubt it. Shouldn’t be too hard for Cohen to just part ways and eat the money, Cano was the previous administration’s mistake.
MarlinsFanBase
We’ll give you Anthony Bass for Cano.
Cosmo2
Sold
JoeBrady
I’m not a Baez fan, but this feels a little like Story’s story. I always thought Baez was overrated. But if enough people think Baez is overrated, then Baez becomes underrated. I think the numbers that Mr. Franco and company are floating around ($80-100M) are too low, but if I had a choice between Seager at $300M/10, or Baez at $100/5, I am choosing Baez and not even thinking twice.
1984wasntamanual
My hesitation with Baez, after watching him for years, is just how likely I think it is that his game falls off a cliff. The way he plays is more dependent on athleticism and bat speed than most. When he slows down, or should he have an injury I think he quickly goes from good to unplayable, without the normal decline phase you see. I enjoyed watching him play, but I wouldn’t want my team to commit to him. That said, I’d probably agree on taking him at 5/100 vs. Seager at 10/300, but I’ll be pretty surprised if Seager gets 10/300.
inkstainedscribe
8:1 K:BB ratio is Juan Samuel or Brad Komminsk territory. Brutal.
rememberthecoop
One minor criticism: now that the regular season has ended, you shouldn’t say “last year” when referring to the 2020 MLB season. Plus, you didn’t 2ven say last “season”…my 2 cents.
BeforeMcCourt
Are we not in the 2021 season playoffs? Season is still going buddy
MetsFan22
Great news. I would pay like 5/125
Cosmo2
He’s gonna be a hole in the lineup for a ton of money when that bat regresses to his norms. End of the day, his glove is what makes him special and we don’t need that at second base, we need a bat (for less money).
Indianfan
Great. What’s better than one head case? Two head cases. lol
Cosmo2
What the heck are you on about now?
CalcetinesBlancos
But does he smile?
DodgerOK
If the fans bothered him this early, he should go elsewhere. It won’t get any better if he slumps and they don’t win. Plus they know they can get to him.
CalcetinesBlancos
Chris Davis 2.0
Ron Tingley
Sure hope the Angels don’t spend their starting pitching money on javy
jim stem
If the Mets can sign him for 3-4 years, ok. Anything beyond that is ludicrous. He’s an all or nothing hitter who turns 29 this year. Once his bat slows even a little bit, he’ll be even more prone to swing and miss at sliders.
The flip side would be that McNeil and Davis could then be flipped for pitching unless the DH becomes a real thing in the NL.
JoeBrady
As a RS fan, if JD opted out, and Bogaerts were open to a move to 3rd, I’d sign Baez to $100M/5 without a second thought. His strikeouts and bad K/W tend to overshadow the fact that he has a .270/.311/.508/.819 over the past 4 years. That’s roughly what Renfroe gives us, and I am pretty happy with that To have an .819 out of a GG SS is great.
Folks are going to be discussing $300M/10 for Correa and Seager, They’re better, but they ain’t twice as better.
Cosmo2
Baez is a valuable SS; not nearly as much as a second baseman, where, if his bat regresses, he’ll be a below average player.
nickl14
So guess the Mets are gonna release Cano and eat his salary?
3Rivers
Oooh the Yankees could be a fit huh? Get outta here?!? (Sarcasm)
Let’s be honest, the Yankees could be a damn fit for every single player available. MLB financial situation is a joke, and it will never change, unfortunately.
When you consider how much more the NYY and a few other teams spend more than the rest of the league, they should be winning WS at a higher rate. But the reality is these teams aren’t coming close to winning as much as they should. I love it too. Especially the Yankees. Another underachieving failed season…. With allll that talent? It’s so terribly embarrassing.
Another team, the Dodgers, who decided to spend over the luxury tax, also will probably lose and fall short of winning it all. Another underachieving failed attempt of a team who has a huge financial advantage over 2/3 it’s competition.
MLB is broken. It needs fixed. But it will never happen because of the money hungry, greedy owners.
JoeBrady
Nonsense. The reason that the NYY don’t win the WS every year is because there are a lot of other big market teams that are also trying to win a WS every year. It’s not like the NYY are spending $400M every year, and everyone else spends $200M.
Just take a look at Cot’s projected 2021 payrolls. There are 9 teams that spend roughly what the Yankees spend ($190M+). And there are an additional 6 teams that spend between $150M-$190M. The idea that spending slightly more than everyone else makes you an overwhelming favorite, is a bit far afield.
thecoffinnail
Yankees have 2 very good SS prospects only a year or 2 away. They won’t be signing any of the big name SS this offseason. Unless one of them has to settle for a one year contract towards the end of the offseason. They have too many massive contracts that are hurting them already and Judge is gonna need an extension soon. No, look for the Yankees to make a trade for someone like Paul DeJong this offseason or signing an aging veteran like Freddy Galvis or Simmons for the year. This won’t be an offseason where the Yankees spend big. I can really see them signing Rizzo as their $15-$20m contract. Then working out a 3 team trade with St. Louis for DeJong and sending Voit out. If the NL gets the DH I could see the Cards actually interested in bringing Voit back themselves. Having him as an everyday DH would give them an excuse not to sign Pujols for a bench spot. No team wants 3 DH/1B only players. Unless you are the mid 90’s Rangers that is.
detroitdave84
Will he resign with the Mets or the Tigers?
thecoffinnail
Signing Báez to play 2nd would be a huge waste of his defensive talents. Mets should let him walk. His offers will be based on him playing SS and his defense still offers value when his bat falls asleep. Don’t the Mets still have Cano for a couple more years and also have McNeil for a few more seasons? They have several other holes to fill without throwing money at what will be an overpriced 2nd baseman. Especially when they are already paying a 2nd baseman $20m+ and have a solid player just coming into arbitration to back him up.