With up to 15 potential free agents this winter, the Mets are going to look drastically different next season. The changes will mostly affect the pitching staff with the club set to lose four of five starting pitchers, their closer and two most trusted setup men, as well as homegrown outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
It’s a big blow to a team with World Series aspirations, especially given how the club has transformed the culture over the last few years. This was a close group that enjoyed playing with one another and many players felt that some of the success came from strong chemistry in the clubhouse.
We’ve already looked at how this affects the Mets’ rotation, so now we’ll get into the relievers and position players.
The bullpen posted a 3.55 ERA this season, which was the 10th-best mark in baseball. However, it lacked a true, left-handed specialist. General manager Billy Eppler did not acquire one at the trade deadline, prioritizing the organization’s top prospects instead. He also did not acquire a power bat, bringing in only Darin Ruf to face left-handed pitching. Ruff was a disappointment, with only 10 hits in 66 at-bats.
Owner Steve Cohen has long said that he wants to build a winner, but he also wants the winning to be sustainable. Drafting and developing talent is key to sustainability. However, fans were quick to look at what Eppler did at the trade deadline and say it wasn’t enough, and that he should have been more willing to part with prospects in exchange for big-league impact players.
That’s something to be unpacked at a later date. Let’s look at the free-agent relievers and position players for now.
Relievers: Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo, Adam Ottavino, Trevor May, Trevor Williams, Mychal Givens
Diaz was one of the best closers in baseball this season, converting 32 saves in 35 opportunities. He has said he will take the best offer for himself and his family but would like to stay with the organization. A comparable contract might be the one Liam Hendricks signed with the Chicago White Sox. It’s a three-year, $54 million deal with a club option for a fourth year.
Ottavino and Lugo were the go-to arms in high-leverage situations. Ottavino is a New York native who also played for the Yankees and lauded Buck Showalter’s deployment of him, but he’ll be 37 next month.
Lugo was at a loss for words Sunday night. He was a product of good scouting by the Mets coming out of Centenary College in Louisiana.
“I’ve been with this organization for 12 years,” he said. “That’s a long time.”
Lugo did say he would be open to coming back, but he also said he still wants a starting role and that desire will factor into any free agency decisions. Maybe the Mets make him an offer to move him into the rotation to fill a spot vacated by Carrasco or Walker. Or maybe another team promises him a rotation spot and he finds that offer more enticing.
Position players: Brandon Nimmo, Tyler Naquin, Daniel Vogelbach
Naquin filled in for Starling Marte after the outfielder was injured and had some good at-bats, but when he was left off of the wild card roster the writing was on the wall. It’s unlikely he will factor into the Mets’ future plans, especially since they need more pop in the outfield. Naquin hit just .203 with the Mets with a .636 OPS.
Vogelbach provided some pop with six home runs in 55 games, but not enough. A streaky hitter, his patient approach might draw a lot of walks but there were a few times in the last few weeks when he got caught looking in situations where he should have been more aggressive about swinging the bat.
Nimmo retained the services of super agent Scott Boras in order to help him navigate free agency. The first overall pick in the 2011 draft, he went from being projected as a fifth outfielder in 2017 to the Mets’ leadoff hitter in 2018. He greatly improved his defense in center field last season and the 29-year-old should be in line for a big contract.
The club could choose to replace him with a power-hitting outfielder, but if there is a path for him to return to Queens then he is eager to see it. Nimmo has a lot of respect for the organization and believes the club is in a good spot moving forward. There were strides made to improve the culture this season and he thinks the team will be able to make a deeper run next year, likening it to the Dodgers and the numerous playoff attempts before finally winning the World Series in 2020.
The way the club has treated him will factor into his decision.
“It definitely will play a role,” Nimmo said. “How big of a role? I don’t know yet. We’re looking at being a part of a winning culture as well and I think that’s something that Steve has done really, really well here. There’s definitely some factor that will play into that as far as how I’ve been treated while I’ve been here, the chances they took on me in the draft. It’s all I’ve really known.”
()
