Catcher Yasmani Grandal signed with the Brewers in free agency last offseason on a far shorter and cheaper contract than he was expected to secure at the beginning of the winter. The Brewers landed the ex-Padre and Dodger for a one-year, $18.25MM guarantee, but only after Grandal rejected a four-year, $60MM offer from the Mets.
Now set to play in his second All-Star Game, Grandal reflected on his Mets talks Tuesday, telling Ken Davidoff of the New York Post: “I did think [signing with the Mets] was going to happen. We had a really good conversation, Brodie [Van Wagenen] and I. We met. I think the meeting went great. Both sides were on the same page. We just couldn’t come to terms.”
Unable to lock up Grandal, the Mets pivoted to the second-ranked catcher on the market, Wilson Ramos, whom they reeled in for two years and $19MM. The Ramos signing, like most of the Mets’ other high-profile offseason moves, has blown up in their faces thus far. The 31-year-old has continued to log above-average offensive production for his position, but his defense has lagged behind. Ramos has ceded playing time to backup Tomas Nido of late because of his behind-the-plate decline, leading to talk (even from Ramos himself) that the Mets could trade their more expensive backstop either before the July 31 deadline or in the offseason.
With the Ramos signing failing to deliver, the Mets may find themselves back in the market for a starting catcher next winter. Grandal should be available again then, as it seems unlikely he’ll exercise his half of a $16MM mutual option in the wake of yet another strong season as an all-around catcher. Grandal came with a qualifying offer attached last winter, but that won’t be the case if he reaches free agency again in a few months. The fact that the soon-to-be 31-year-old Grandal won’t have draft compensation hanging over his head will only make him more appealing to catcher-needy teams, possibly including the Mets.
Regarding an agreement possibly coming together next winter with the Mets, Grandal said: “You never know, you have another offseason in which it could happen. Everything happens for a reason. I believe in that.”
Well. At least now he’ll get to try free agency again without the QO hanging over him and doesn’t have to play for the Mets.
But he could wind up going to them after all. The Mets, most likely, will have a new manager next year and have a strong core, including the new HR Derby champ, so it will not be a full rebuild.
As disastrous the trade for Canó and Díaz is looking right now, it could’ve been worse. Seattle would’ve eaten more of Canó’s contract if the Mets included Jeff McNeil instead of Gerson Bautista. The Mets should have two injured former All Stars coming back next year in the form of Lowrie and Cespedes. Granted you don’t know what shape they will be in next year, but it could be attractive for someone like Grandal.
Cespedes is not coming back lol
Your optimism is misplaced. The Mets have $80,000,000 in dead contracts next year. The only way out is to package the dead weight with desirable talent or for Fred Coupon to spend more money. The winning way would be to spend like an actual New York Market Baseball team and stop trading prospects. The Mets have one of the worst organizational cultures in all of American sports. The only way to fix it is nuclear, i.e. the Coupons to sell the team.
Mets take the cake now that Loria is gone hahaha
Exactly… when he first signed with MIL, I thought his agent messed up big time, as he turned down multiple years for a 1-year QO. But now, looking at how bad the situation is for the Mets (again!), Grandal will benefit from playing with another competent team this season and than reassessing the Market next year.
It’s amazing how the Mets are doing so badly this season. I actually liked most of their additions in the offseason.
Trading their recently drafted 1st rounder (a top 10 pick even) for a contract that everyone knows is going to get ugly before it expires? When is that ever a good idea? If BVW really didn’t like Kelenic he honestly would have been better off releasing him.
Yeah!
Kelenic could’ve been used to get Realmuto if he wanted him gone so bad. I would’ve tried to keep him at all cost and trade gimenez but I also don’t run teams into the ground
Why do people KEEP thinking the trade was for cano. The main piece was Diaz. The other factors of the trade were the dead weight of Bruce and swarzak (spelling). How everything g turned out allll away around could not have been seen. But to say Kelenic for cano is not the main part of the trade. Cano for Dunn with the other contracts in the deal was the second part. The Mets biggest need was closer and back end bullpen. They went after the best and gave up a 19 year old. A lot can happen in 2 years and for all we know the trade may offset if he doesn’t continue developing great or is an average player. All we know is what was needed at the time.
Why do people KEEP thinking the trade was for cano. The main piece was Diaz.
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Certainly true, but why not sign a FA instead of trading away prospects?
And, I’ve never seen it mentioned, but some of the issue was created by the previous administration when they signed Bruce. Bruce has some moderate L/R splits. So they signed him to join an OF with Conforto & Nimmo, who also have moderate L/R splits. So they decided they wanted 3 LH OFs?
Then they extended Cespedes, which meant they were either benching an expensive Bruce, or benching a good prospect. With the ancillary benefit of having a lefty outfielder backing up two lefty outfielders.
exactly
kelenic was not traded for Cano. Kelenic, Dunn and Bautista for Diaz.
They only took Cano’s contract to get the 24 year old Diaz. Last year Diaz was nothing short of electric, and with 4 years of team control. I think most people around baseball thought Cano would hit close to last years numbers. I thińk If Thor, Wheeler, and Matz pitched like every Mets fan hoped they would, then getting a closer made sense. But of course things rarely seem to work out for the Mets, and ownership will def not try to outspend mistakes. The whole team has underperformed and we have to stop thinking we have some sort of special rotation. It is greatly overrated. Also how do our talent evaluators and scouts not know that Rosario is not good defensively? Or all of a sudden Ramos is not adequate behind the dish?
On one hand he turned down nice money. The other hand he signed with a better team for one season.
brewers could try to extend him on a cain type deal but who knows they have bigger problems to solve in the off season. *cough* pitching *cough*
haha pitching is a problem they don’t care to solve. I’ve grown to really like grandal since the nlcs last year. he’s played really well from three sides of the plate. his defense does get occasionally bad but he’s hit better than what I expected
Dodged a bullet there!
No team ever succeeds with heavy turnover the first year. Look at the year the Jays grabbed tulo, Dickey, reyes, Buehrle, ect. Choke job. But a year later they did well. The eagles in the year Young called them a hall of fame team… 1 year does not make a team, some time and cohesion is needed.
Heavy turnover doesnt favor the team the first year, but if you let the guys settle and create a repoir it can become something. Unfortunately most teams are too impatient to allow this to happen.
The Jays didnt get Tulo the same year they made the big marlins/mets trades. That was 2013. They got Tulo at the 2015 trade deadline along with David Price from the Tigers
Tulo was with the Rockies not Tigers
I know that. my sentence could have benefitted from a comma. I meant they got Tulo, and then David Price from the tigers
Proofreading would make you look coherent.
His entire life flashed before his eyes. He was that close to ending his career.
That brings back bad memories of Jason Bay. He was a star with Pitt, and star with Boston, and a fan favorite.
He took the money with the NYMs, but the fine print stipulated that:
* You will never see another playoff game
* You will never play in front a packed house
* You will never be heard from again.
I’m glad to see that the one year deal he accepted seems to be paying off. That QO is a real anchor for most players in free agency.
Yeah it’s almost as if it’s not the albatross every member here thinks it is.
I think the knocks on Ramos are a little harsh. He hasn’t been a total bust like some people are making it out to be.
exactly, he’s never been a good defender. the mets are getting $9.5 mil of production
Agreed, they are tough on his defense but the real issue is when the Mets main starters don’t want to pitch to him.
Ramos is one of my favorite catchers. He’s just never been a remarkable defender. I wish the Brewers will just end up extendin or resigning Grandal
Wise choice Mr. Grandal.
Grandal had a terrible arm when he played for SD. And he had a PED suspension.
I couldn’t stand him..