NOW! ... AND LATER
A NEW OWNER DIDN’T LEAD TO MASSIVE SPENDING, BUT RATHER A GOAL OF SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Mets preview
With a new owner and new superstar shortstop, the Mets have entered a new era with dreams of returning to the postseason.
IT SEEMED unfathomable the Mets, with a newly minted owner worth $14 billion, would go the entire winter without signing one of the big three free agents on the market. But team president Sandy Alderson never seriously pursued J.T. Realmuto, backed off on George Springer and got blindsided by the Dodgers, who snagged Trevor Bauer after the Mets thought they hadlandedhim.
And yet, the Mets will head to their Thursday night season opener in Washington as an improved team from the one that departed that same city on Sept. 27 in last place, concluding a forgettable pandemic-shortened 2020.
Francisco Lindor, acquired in a trade with the Indians, gives the Mets the game’s best shortstop. The other new names include James McCann, Trevor May, Taijuan Walker, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr., with the Mets hopeful the second component in the Lindor deal, Carlos Carrasco, will return sooner rather than later from a torn right hamstring to bolster the rotation.
The Mets are deeper than in recent seasons. But they still are far from a masterpiece defensively and questions persist about the back end of the rotation and bullpen. But Alderson’s modus operandi in past years — he was previously Mets general manager — has been to use the first half of the season to evaluate what holes need filling at the trade deadline.
That’s to say Steve Cohen’s money that wasn’t used on Realmuto, Springer and Bauer still might come into play this summer when fading teams are looking to shed contracts.
The Mets have a new owner with deep pockets and better players than last year. If they keep most of those players on the field, meaningful September games could be just an opening act to October drama.