Where the Mets stand as offseason begins
The winter work has started in Queens.
Mets general manager Billy Eppler and manager Buck Showalter addressed the media Friday morning at Citi Field ahead of what is already shaping up to be an eventful offseason.
The Mets could have up to 15 players departing in free agency, but there are three particular players headlining this class: Jacob deGrom, Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo. A few other starting pitchers have options, and decisions have not been made about picking up any options just yet, but a few things must be established before the Mets can start to put together their 2023 roster.
The payroll for next season needs to be established and Eppler said owner Steve Cohen has given him a number, but he would not disclose it.
The Mets had the highest payroll in baseball this season, entering September with a $273.9 million total. The Los Angeles Dodgers were second because of Trevor Bauer’s suspension.
Will the payroll exceed the $300 million mark next season? It’s certainly possible, and it’s unlikely costs will be cut. However, with the payroll number in mind the Mets can start to understand how to pursue deGrom, Diaz, Nimmo and others.
Eppler has not had any formal conversations with deGrom’s representation, but he did speak with the right-hander Sunday night after the Mets were eliminated in a National League wild-card series.
“Well, I wouldn’t go too far down the tracks on what I talk about there,” Eppler said. “But I did have some time one-on-one with Jake Sunday night, late — that might even have been Monday morning by then.
“He knows how we feel, I know how he feels . ... We’ve had a good amount of dialogue — he and I — over the course of this season. And I think we have a sense of what makes the other one tick.
“Things are positive. The relationship is positive. We’ll see where it ultimately goes, but he knows how we feel.”
Somewhere along the line the group has to address some internal business as well. There are arbitration-eligible players due for raises and prospects knocking at the door of the big leagues.
Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez all spent time in the big leagues this season. Their development has to be factored in before the Mets make personnel decisions. The trio didn’t exactly break out as major-leaguers, but the club still saw progress and they’ll get a chance to show more in spring training.
“I think it was a good experience for all three of those guys,” Eppler said. “Some of it was born out of necessity because of some circumstances that happened with our 26- or 28-player roster at that moment in time. But I know there’s some takeaways — for them as well as for us.
“You know, I’m very excited that they’re here. I think they’re going to be a big part of our future and look forward to seeing them in spring training and watching them compete for jobs.”
Eppler stressed the Mets’ goal of becoming building a sustainable winner. He noted that sustainability doesn’t necessarily come from free agency, but that he will likely have to go to the free-agent or trade market to fill in some gaps as the club develops young talent.
There are quick fixes to short-term issues and the Mets have made quick work of getting into the win column in the second season of the Cohen era, but they are playing the long game with the intention of being a perennial contender.
“I’ll tell you, though, I think building sustainability is not going to come via free agency,” Eppler said. “I think it’s going to come internally.
“There’s a couple franchises out there that are kind of the model for that right now, and that’s where we strive to be, but it’s going to take some time to build to that. It doesn’t happen overnight and nothing happens by accident.”
The Mets know where they want to go and they believe they have a blueprint on how to get there. How quickly they can get there is yet to be determined, but much of roster-building is unknown.
Sometimes the right moves don’t work and the right players end up being the wrong fit. It’s just the way sports work.