Mets fans dreamed big when Steve Cohen took control of his team. Why not?
Nobody wins the lottery and imagines moving from a room to two. They see the mansion or the penthouse. And for the faithful, it certainly was like winning the lottery when Cohen’s wallet squeezed the Wilpons.
He demonstrated the power of deep pockets, especially in this free-of-charge environment, when Mets switched to Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. Most teams were just trying Lindor because that meant adding $ 20 million to this year’s payroll and at least determining how much it would cost in the long run to keep the shortstop star after 2021. Most clubs were out only with Carlos Carrasco because the two years and $ 27 million still owed was more than he probably would have received had he been a free agent and it didn’t cost the player’s return.
Mets got both – added both to their payroll financial results. They introduced Lindor via the Zoom conference on Monday and Carrasco on Tuesday. And yet, let’s move on to Wednesday, and a former Indian companion of Lindor and Carrasco, to exemplify that what Mets can do now is to differentiate themselves on the opposite side of the market as well, which are not just mansions and penthouses.
Corey Kluber has a workout scheduled for 10:30 am Wednesday at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Garden, Florida. About 20 teams, including the Mets, are expected to have a representative to watch the two-time Cy Young winner play a 30-step Bullpen. The cameras will be trained at Kluber, as well as the most modern machinery to determine the rate of turn and movement in their fields.
The teams will analyze the data and how the right-hand player looked to the naked eye, trying to determine how much Corey Kluber is left in Corey Kluber. Of course, it’s just a snapshot. Kluber only made eight starts in the past two years, when he was undone by the aberration (a right arm fractured by the absorption of a transmission line) and the worrying one (abdominal and shoulder pain). Upon turning 35 in April, Kluber’s chances of returning to 80 or 90 percent of his dominant form in 2014-18 are, what are they? Ten per cent? Twenty? Thirty? It’s not great.
But what if the Mets like what they see? What if they like what they see at a time when few clubs want to take on the payroll, even if it’s on safer things? What if they like what they see and have Cohen’s wallet as a separator? After all, these are no longer the Mets of Jeff Wilpon’s father.
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 entries and starts. Suppose Kluber will fall into the same realm – a low base with a chance to win a lot more with a healthy throw. How many teams in this money-squeezing atmosphere would Kluber the Hill offer?
For Cohen, therefore, differentiating the Mets could mean offering a base of $ 5 million or $ 6 million. Marginal money for him. What if the Mets offered $ 5 million with a chance to win $ 13 million if Kluber totally went back to being Kluber – 200 entries, for example? This would replicate the $ 18 million option in 2021 that the Rangers refused to make Kluber a free agent.
Once again, Kluber is far from that guy again. But if it is, it’s worth $ 18 million. And the Mets are suddenly the type of franchise that can risk $ 5 million to see if that Kluber is still hidden.
For, at best, Kluber is installed behind colleague Stetson, Jacob deGrom, in rotation and moves Carrasco and Marcus Stroman to arguably the best No. 3-4 combo in the majors, with David Peterson protected in fifth place and Seth Lugo and Steven Matz in the pen to provide input.
In a medium setting, Kluber fits in the rotation and stays long enough to form a tag-team in 2021 with Noah Syndergaard, who is due to return around June, after Tommy John’s surgery.
At worst, Kluber never looks anything like he was before. In this case, the rotation of the Mets is deGrom, Carrasco, Stroman, Peterson and Matz or Lugo with percolation Syndergaard. It costs Mets $ 5 million, but they are out of contract after the 2021 campaign.
Obviously, there are many moving parts here. Kluber has to be fine on Wednesday, Mets has to be interested, Kluber has to want to play for them and the teams have to agree to this sinister contract.
But that should be seen as an indicator of what Mets can do now. Cohen’s arrival allows his fans to dream of mansions and covers in the acquisition of players. Welcome Lindor / Carrasco. It also puts them in a better position to be bold on the other side of the market in an attempt to find those who make a difference.