Reese Kaplan -- The Wheels Are Starting to Churn...

One of the interesting debates on the Mets’ look for 2022 and beyond started among the Macks Mets writers on the text feed we share with each other daily.  They were pretty much taking a “spend big money” approach to how the team must reshape for the future and there is some merit to that approach.  Still, it leaves you to ponder how deeply Steve Cohen wants to reach into his pockets to create the type of winning team he desires.

The very first issue was Javy Baez.  The opinion was put forth that he was not obtained simply as an emergency two-month rental, but instead to become a part of this team going forward.  A great many people do salivate over the prospect of a middle of the infield with Baez at 2B and Francisco Lindor at SS.  Certainly the Mets’ pitchers would be the ones leading to cheers knowing that they have two Gold Glove caliber infielders guarding them up the middle.  

Of course, the reasoning is probably more about what they can do offensively with their bats and legs than what they do fielding their positions.  Both of them have had enviable back-of-the-baseball-card numbers for many years and Mets fans are certainly tired of feeling as if a 1-0 lead by the opponents is insurmountable.  

What is less clear in this assessment is what becomes of the other infielders who have had regular starting assignments with the Mets?  This arrangement would potentially impact men like Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, Robinson Cano, Jonathan Villar and reserves that include Luis Guillorme and Brandon Drury.  In this scenario, who plays third base on a daily basis?

Well, most fans have soured on the strong bat and weak glove of J.D. Davis and figure a strong finish near .300 should make him a desirable trade chip.  Jonathan VIllar has proven to be a much stronger fielder than most have anticipated, but many boneheaded pickoffs on the basepaths suggest folks feel he’s at best a strong bench player.  Drury has come up big a few times for the Mets with his bat and positional versatility, but he’s never hit for much of an average so again it would seem bench work is the best he’d have to offer.  Guillorme was once again poking singles all over the field when healthy and playing strong defense, but he doesn’t generate enough runs to pencil him into the lineup except as occasional relief.

So that brings us down to two contenders for third base -- Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano.  Now if you took a vote among Mets fans it would be a clear case where 99.999999% would prefer to see McNeil positioned there despite his less than stellar fielding results at the hot corner.  He’s a hitter in the mold of what we’ve seen from Brandon Nimmo -- can address a high batting average while capable of providing moderate power numbers.  He’s currently making very little money but is arbitration eligible in 2022 with free agency looming after the 2024 season concludes.   From a financial viewpoint, it makes sense for him to spend his winter preparing for regular starts at third base.

Unfortunately, the very same attributes that make him appealing to the Mets would make him just as desirable to other teams.  You see how teams overpay to get a good player who has years of financial control left.  In his parts of 4 seasons he’s earned 11 WAR.  If you round up to 12 WAR, that’s about 3 per year and that level of production is worth $24 million per season.  In the trade market your phone would be ringing off the hook if you let it be known he is available for the right price.

That would leave the club with PED persona Robinson Cano who is still on the hook for two more full years of his outlandish salary.  Everyone saw what he was like in 2019 when he was either adjusting to the NL or clean from his chemical assistance.  In 2020 it was more like people had come to expect from Cano -- he had 10 HRs, 30 RBIs and batted .316 in about ⅓ of a season’s worth of ABs. 

Of course, it was after the 2020 season that Cano’s recidivistic engagement of PEDs that led to his salary-free suspension for the 2021 season.  Given his age, his salary and his PED issue, he’s essentially untradeable.  About the only way to move him in a deal is to take on some other team’s similarly overpaid yet troubled player, or you wind up paying down at least half of his remaining money.  Going into the 2022 season he will be 39 and whoever holds his contract owes him for his age 40 season as well.  

So here comes the close-your-eyes-and-swallow-hard question….would the Mets be better off trading away Jeff McNeil to address other needs and consider Robinson Cano a failed investment who can theoretically competently take the field for a few years until Brett Baty, Ronny Maurico and Mark Vientos are ready to make it to the majors?  Now there is the secret desire fantasy of all Mets fans that legally the Mets could challenge the rest of his contract due to his proven behavior that nullified his value as a ballplayer.  Trying to get a decision to void a contract based upon substance abuse (in this case PEDs and not illicit recreational drugs) has not been done in the past and it would have the Player’s Union up in arms about the precedent it would create.  

Now there is another approach in which McNeil returns to the outfield, Cano takes over at third base and Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo or Dom Smith are the ones wearing a new uniform.  The danger with this approach is that between McNeil and Nimmo you have combined about the power one of Smith or Conforto would provide.  Granted, you would have theoretically more power from the middle infielders, but that’s a pretty weak outfield.  

Obviously there’s a lot more that needs to be done.  Catching was not what they expected this season.  Pitching has been something of a black hole starting games and finishing them.  The field management has not been motivational and the front office has been clueless.  Still, the wheels are already starting to spin on what to do and the Macks Mets writers have almost uniformly endorsed the concept of keeping Baez.

What do you all think?