It was an office. But it was also a free agency.
The Mets acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Indians in exchange for four players. But they also bought them.
Cleveland’s prestigious baseball operations department investigated what they could receive for Lindor, Carrasco, and the duo together. Ultimately, the first job, due to the 2021 budget provided by the property, was to escape the maximum $ 47 million the couple owed (mostly the approximately $ 33 million by 2021). And, within that, seek out as much young (economic) talent as possible.
So Cleveland decided to unite Lindor and Carrasco and accept a minor return of the Mets ’talent. The hope of the Indians was that by doing so, with so many free agents and trading possibilities in this slow market, they could spend a portion of what they saved and want to look for opportunities to strengthen the list. remain competitive in the meh AL Central.
But mostly they had to get out of the money.
So Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson’s first huge regime play has points in common with Brodie Van Wagenen’s first substantial regime operation.
This was also a free agency posing as a trade. The sailors were willing to include Edwin Diaz in a trade to make Robinson Cano disappear with the same certainty that the Indians were willing to lower the value of Lindor to escape the two full years to $ 27 million still owed to Carrasco.
The problem: the Mets assumed a much greater financial obligation to Cano than to Carrasco, while they got a smaller piece to Diaz than to Lindor and also gave up a much more desirable commercial chip to Jarred Kelenic than to Andres Gimenez.
Some thoughts:
Kelenic has yet to arrive and succeed in the majors. For now, the Mets ’biggest sin with him was to change him less than a year after he was recruited and therefore not realize the kind of value he accumulated with just a full season of minor leagues.
The most important crime in baseball was negotiating a property that had the ability to chase the Mets in what was essentially a desperate pay dump for sailors. In reviews of Lindor’s trade by outside executives (who all saw it as a victory for the Mets), they all cited that no one the Mets surrendered would burn them, even while everyone professed admiration for Gimenez. Again, let’s take a moment with this one. I am a big fan of talented players who, despite being young, show great baseball IQ and a sincerity of effort. Gimenez ticks these boxes.
In addition, it should be noted that the two trade prospects – Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf – were second-round players drafted under Van Wagenen’s tenure and exchanged by Alderson. Kelenic and Dunn were the first players in Alderson’s first term to be traded by Van Wagenen. The Mets have been throwing well for years and, if there was praise for the Van Wagenen era, it was that he handled the draft well in his two attempts. Still, Greene and Wolf’s reviews indicate that it’s years back and, at best, lottery ticket prospects, though, again, time will be the ultimate referee.
Cano was just a much more distressed piece than Carrasco. When it comes to these types of players, think about how much they would receive in free agency if they were available. Cano was suspended 80 games in 2018 to test positive for a banned performance boost. He was in his 36th season in 2019. If he had been a free agent after the 2018 season, then he would have received, what? A two-year contract for a maximum of $ 20 million, probably not even that. Maybe a year.
Cano had five years left for $ 120 million, and even with the Mariners eating $ 20 million and catching Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak, the Mets still owed five years for $ 63.5 million. To access Diaz, it was too much to absorb that money and give up Kelenic. I can’t imagine another team would have taken on much of what the Mets did for Cano, even to acquire Diaz.
Carrasco has two years left at $ 27 million, assuming his 2023 option does not recover. He is a leukemia survivor entering his 34-year season, but has an ERA of 2.91 in 12 starts. Could it have equaled Mike Minor’s $ 18 million two-year deal in this shrinking market? Carrasco has a fantastic reputation as a person and teammate, and when he is aggressive with his fast ball, his secondary things, that is, change and sliding control, still make him a great starter. It’s much closer to two years, valued at $ 27 million than five-year-old Cano, with $ 63.5 million. Much closer.
The Mets had a .432 earnings percentage in 2017 before Van Wagenen took over and .433 last year before Cohen bought the club. Both administrations came in and believed that the previous club had lowered their talent and that the modifications would make them instant winners.
Van Wagenen overlooked the best catchers on the market (JT Realmuto in a trade and Yasmani Grandal in free agency), worried that waiting for Grandal’s free agency would cost opportunities elsewhere and signed Wilson Ramos. He also signed a downloader, Jeurys Familia. His first blockbuster was Diaz / Cano’s free agency play.
So far, the Cohen / Alderson Mets overlooked the best receiver on the market (Realmuto in free agency) worried that waiting for Realmuto’s free agency would cost opportunities elsewhere and instead signed James McCann. They also signed a downloader, Trevor May. They then made the free agency movement pass for a Lindor / Carrasco trade.
Van Wagenen’s mistake was that a team should never offer big money or big assets (the Mets used both of them) for a downloader, unless it’s positive that he’s a contender. Because having a closer match with few wins to close is like having a beautiful roof over an outbuilding.
A run like Lindor helps on a daily basis, though any Mets fan would sign up for him to produce a .316 / .352 / .544 slash line next year, which, by the way, was the last season of Cano. Of course, Cano was busted again for being a PED scam. Lindor’s salary will be about $ 20 million, or what the Mets save with Cano losing their 2021 salary. Cano, however, is still owed two years to $ 40 million for 2022 to 23 after his suspension.
So this could be the biggest difference between these Mets and these Mets. Those Mets, under the Wilpons, sneaked in taking one last stab at competitive relevance, the owners probably knew they were going to sell. Cohen is now at a long distance with the deepest pockets of the sport. He can manage Cano’s salary and a likely extension for Lindor. Cohen has the money to navigate the failed free agency that masquerades as his predecessor’s trade while trying it himself.