Reese Kaplan -- Saving the Best for Last on Friday

Have you ever been in a really bad situation when it seemed like everything possible that could go wrong continually gets trumped by something new?  A lot of Mets fans feel this way despite the team securing a new and experienced general manager, though everyone is hoping that somehow Billy Eppler has a magic wand at his disposal to address the many things that need to be done.  

First there was the whole recruitment process for the front office, then the departures of Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup, then the unsuccessful flirtation with former Met Steve Matz.  It sure seemed like you wanted something to happen before the next shoe fell and caught you by surprise.  

Earlier in the week word filtered out from Billy Eppler that according to his new boss, Steve Cohen, he would have the resources available to do what needed to be accomplished to get the team moving in the right direction.  To most media and fans that meant looking at the top shelf players available in free agency to see who could be bought and paid to play for the Mets to help them return to a competitive level of play.  

Whether it was Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, any number of prospective stating pitchers, Starling Marte or whomever the flavor of the week was, it seemed an unbridled way for the Mets to spend like the Steinbrenner Yankees.

Imagine the surprise, therefore, to find Friday's two acquisitions being the first roster stones turned under Billy Eppler.  First came the announcement that infielder Eduardo Escobar was coming to the Mets on a two-year deal for a total of $20 million.  He was a first time All Star for the Diamondbacks in 2021 before getting traded mid-season to the Brewers.  His overall total of 28 HRs and 90 RBIs was entirely respectable, but the real value he brings to the club is his ability to be inserted anywhere into the infield.  

While many are already trying to play the game of which regular he will supplant on a daily basis, this move was a matter of preparing for a very high quality backup player in the event other options do not transpire as hoped. 

Right now the Mets have the whole Javy Baez situation in front of them with other teams (recently the Tigers) looking to allow him to return to his preferred position of shortstop.  On the Mets he would be a second baseman alongside his buddy Francisco Lindor.  While usually money or winning help determine which team a player chooses, sometimes it is a matter of doing whatever it is they truly want to do.  If he feels that strongly about shortstop, wish him well and move onto other options.

Without looking outside the current roster, the Mets do still have both Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano in need of at bats.  Both have proven to perform at a very high level though McNeil's 2021 was subpar and Cano's capabilities are tinged by his twice-suspended sentences for abusing PEDs.  In addition, they still have J.D. Davis and now they have newcomer Eduardo Escobar as well.  

Many other premier infielders are available in the open market, though most of them would require sacrificing a draft pick as compensation which is not the team's preferred way of doing things.  The fact that the new deal is for just two years and Escobar has recently shown increased power over the past several seasons suggests that this move was not a bad one.  Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio are not yet ready for the major leagues, so this type of short term deal is a bridge to the future.

Similarly, the Mets announced the acquisition of versatile outfielder Mark Canha.  For most folks who follow the National League, this signing was likely greeted with a big, "Who???" reaction.  Canha has played exclusively for Oakland at first base and all three outfield positions since his rookie season at age 26.  Now 32 he is not what you'd categorize as a difference maker, but with Kevin Pillar's departure the Mets were mighty thin in the outfield.  Gaining Canha who has hit as many as 26 HRs in a season allows them to breathe somewhat easier as they move forward with other prospective roster enhancements.

Like the deal with Escobar, Canha is signing a two-year deal but for more money -- about $26.5 over the duration of that contract.  He is hopefully an expensive backup plan to whatever they do with the other outfield roles which right now belong to Brandon Nimmo and perhaps Dom Smith.  He's not going to replace Michael Conforto even up, but he's going to make about 33% less per season and will provide them with a professional and capable guy who they can slot in anywhere needed out there.  

What came as a huge surprise was the late announcement after midnight when it was revealed that Starling Marte agreed to a four-year $78 million deal with the Mets pending a physical. That's about a 60% increase over what he had been earning.  Some might quibble about the amount and term, given he will turn age 33 during the 2022 season.  However, Marte is a stellar fielder, blazing baserunner and has modest power.  

He would slot into centerfield with Brandon Nimmo sliding to one of the corners.  In this past season split between the Marlins and Oakland resulted in 47 stolen bases and a .310 batting average.  During his career he's won two Gold Gloves and made the All Star team once.  The right handed hitter helps balance out a lefty-heavy lineup the Mets fielded in 2021.  

None of these deals is going to ensure the Mets have returned to the top 1-3 teams of the division, nor are they the kind of superstar names that fans and media hoped to hear with a new sheriff in town.  Marte was most definitely brought here to be a starter whereas the short term deals for guys who likely are backup players, slightly overpaid for that role, suggests they are preparing for all variables since there's no guarantee the top ten players want anything to do with the new Mets organization.  

When they spoke about spending Cohen's money on payroll, reinforcing the bench wasn't what people initially had in mind, but it's necessary to do, and an interesting, aggressive approach for an off season that could find itself ending at midnight on December 1st if there is no new CBA in place.