They won’t raise a pennant for this, but it’s something: The Mets had the best offseason in baseball, according to ESPN. The Amazins were the only club to earn an “A” grade from the Worldwide Leader on its pre-spring training report card.
ESPN’s David Schoenfeld writes:
The Mets’ payroll, including tax penalties, will be a projected $468.5 million — more than $150 million higher than the Yankees’ payroll. … The Mets spent, and spent big — some of it on re-signing their own players and some of it on replacing free agents with new free agents. It’s the most expensive team in history, and on paper, it’s as good as the 101-win team from last season.
Of course, they also wanted Carlos Correa. He would have made them a better team in 2023, but I think not signing him is better for the team over the long haul. Brett Baty looks like he will hit and should settle in nicely at third base, and, let’s face it, even (owner Steve) Cohen probably has limits on how much he wants to spend on payroll. And in a couple of years, they’ll likely need to replace (Justin) Verlander and Max Scherzer.
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We’d feel better about the Mets if they had managed to add another big bopper. But that’s what the MLB trade deadline is for. And even so, it is hard to argue with the grade. It’s World Series or bust in Queens.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
