Mets fans dreamed of when Steve Cohen took over his team. Why not?
No one wins the lottery and plans to go from one bedroom to two. They see the mansion or the attic. And, for the faithful, he sure wanted to win the lottery when Cohen’s wallet drew the Wilpons.
He demonstrated the power of deep pockets, especially in this expense-free environment, when the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. Most teams were trying to try Lindor alone because it meant adding $ 20 million to this year’s payroll and at least determining what it would cost in the long run to keep the break beyond 2021. Most clubs are they stayed with Carlos Carrasco just because years and $ 27 million still owed were more than he probably would have received if he had been a free agent and hadn’t cost any player returns.
The Mets got them both: they added both to their payroll bottom line. They presented the Lindor conference via Zoom on Monday and Carrasco on Tuesday. And yet, we move quickly toward Wednesday, and a former Lindor and Carrasco Indian teammate, to exemplify that what the Mets can do now is differentiate themselves on the opposite side of the market as well, which aren’t all mansions and penthouses. .
Corey Kluber is scheduled to train at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Garden, Florida. About 20 teams, including the Mets, are expected to have a representative to attend Cy Young’s double winner. 30-pitch bull track. The cameras will be trained at Kluber, as well as the most modern machinery to determine the speed of rotation and movement in their launches.
Teams will examine the data and appearance on the right at a glance trying to determine how much Corey Kluber is left in Corey Kluber. Of course, it’s just a snapshot. Kluber has made only eight starts in the last two years, as he has been undone by the monster (a fracture of his right arm through the absorption of a transmission) and by the worrying one (abdominal and shoulder diseases). When he turned 35 in April, Kluber’s chances of returning to 80 or 90 percent of his dominant form 2014-18 are, what? Ten percent? Twenty? Thirty? Not fantastic.
But what if the Mets like what they see? What if they like what they see at a time when few other clubs want to take over the payroll, even in safer things? What if they like what they see and have Cohen’s portfolio as a separator? These, after all, are no longer Jeff Wilpon’s father’s Mets.
Rich Hill, a quality but injury-prone pitcher, signed last season with the Twins for $ 3 million with $ 9.5 million in incentives based on innings and starts. Suppose Kluber will fall into the same realm: a low base with the chance to do substantially more with a healthy throw. How many teams in such a small atmosphere would even offer the Kluber the Hill deal?
For Cohen, therefore, differentiating the Mets may consist of offering a base of $ 5 or $ 6 million. Marginal money for him. What if the Mets offered $ 5 million with the chance to win $ 13 million if Kluber were Kluber again: 200 tickets, for example? That would replicate the $ 18 million 2021 option that the Rangers refused to make Kluber a free agent.
Once again, Kluber is an opportunity to be that guy again. But if it is, it is worth $ 18 million. And the Mets are suddenly the kind of franchise that could risk $ 5 million to see if Kluber is still hiding.
Because, at best, Kluber settles behind Stetson’s students, Jacob deGrom, in the rotation and moves Carrasco and Marcus Stroman to the best combined number 3-4 of the majors, with David Peterson protected in fifth place and Seth Lugo and Steven Matz in the pen to provide tickets.
In an average scenario, Kluber enters the rotation and holds out long enough to form a 2021 team with Noah Syndergaard, which will take place around June after Tommy John’s surgery.
In the worst case scenario, Kluber never bears any resemblance to his old self. In this case, the rotation of the Mets is deGrom, Carrasco, Stroman, Peterson and Matz or Lugo with Syndergaard percolating. The Mets cost $ 5 million, but are out of contract after the 2021 campaign.
Viously, obviously there are many moving parts here. Kluber should look good on Wednesday, the Mets should be interested, Kluber should want to play for them and the sides should agree to this bell contract.
But that should be taken as an indicator of what the Mets can do now. Cohen’s arrival allows his fans to dream of mansions and penthouses in buying players. Welcome Lindor / Carrasco. It also puts them in a better position to be bold on the other side of the market in attempts to find creators of differences.