Right-hander Trevor Rosenthal may be the best reliever remaining in free agency, and he has at least one serious suitor in the Mets. They’re “clearly “in” on the reliever,” Mike Puma of the New York Post writes.
Rosenthal was largely successful with the Cardinals from 2012-17, part of which he spent as their closer, but then fell on hard times. He underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2017, missed all of the next season, and then had a horrible time between Washington and Detroit the next year. Rosenthal split 15 1/3 innings with those teams, allowing a whopping 24 runs (23 earned) on 26 walks with 17 strikeouts and 11 hits.
While Rosenthal’s career looked to be just about over at this time a year ago, he rebounded in a big way last season after inking a minor league deal with the Royals. Rosenthal did well with Kansas City over the first few weeks of the season before it sent him to San Diego leading up to the Aug. 31 trade deadline, after which he performed even better. The 30-year-old ended 2020 with a sterling 1.90 ERA/2.31 SIERA in 23 2/3 innings. Moreover, Rosenthal finished fifth among relievers in strikeout percentage (41.8) and sixth in K-BB percentage (33.0), also averaging 98 mph on his fastball and rating as a Statcast favorite.
A Rosenthal signing would be the second major free-agent offseason acquisition for the Mets’ relief corps, which added fellow setup man Trevor May on a two-year, $15.5MM deal in early December. Considering his vast experience as a closer (132 saves), Rosenthal could be a ninth-inning fallback option for the Mets if Edwin Diaz falters in 2021.
Angels should be in on him as well but they won’t be due to their fear of quality pitching
I’m a little surprised in the Mets offseason. I know the Francisco Lindor trade was really good for them but if you told me at the beginning of the offseason that the only top 15 free agent the Mets would end up signing was a 1-year deal to bring back Marcus Stroman… I would have thought the Mets offseason was a complete failure.
As a Mets fan I feel the same way and it is a bit shocking. They went hard after Bauer, but he wanted the Dodgers. I cant blame him for that. Its the easiest route to a World Series for him. Springer was a bit of a shock. I thought he fit in nice. But really outside of those two players I dont think that there wer any players worth going hard after. And I feel like the Mets felt the same way.
Bauer played the Mets. The LA native has publicly said “I want to be a Dodger,” and I think that all of his social media activity was engineered to make that happen.
I think that in hindsight the Mets probably shouldn’t have gone after McCann so early. That’s purely hindsight though. I see the logic. Shore up the catcher position while still saving enough money to go after Bauer and/or Springer. If they had known in advance that they were gonna miss on both Bauer and Springer though, I wonder if they would have spent that extra cash to turn McCann into JT Realmuto. Not only would it make the Realmuto seem like $40 million less than it would have been since they wouldn’t have the McCann contracts on the books but it would also have hurt the division rival Phillies a lot to lose him. If they had the money to spend and it wasn’t going toward Bauer or Springer it seems like it might as well have gone towards Realmuto.
Negative. Bauer played LAD. He was going to sign there and used NYM to drive up the price.
I disagree. Realmuto wanted no part of the Mets he said so in so many words. Given that, McAnn was the only other choice. What if Realmuto strung this out to eventually sign with the Philadelphia anyway, By the time he signed with Philadelphia , Mc Ann would have signed elsewhere. Where would that leave the Mets ? Nido? I’m glad they signed McAnn when they did. He will help the pitching staff big time.
I mean, he publicly said “I want to be a every team in mlb” at one point this offseason.
He played both in different ways.
Agreed! Very wilponesque off-season. They even let Justin Wilson walk for $4mm. They still need another lefty for the pen. Also, they need to sign Lindor before the season for that trade to be a success. They face what one can arguably say the best pitching in the game in that division. Aside from degrom, I am not sure what we can expect from the glue and scotch taped rotation. I just hope they are following a plan. Very concerning that they had 3 individuals acting as the GM over the last 3.5 months. It would be nice to have a good team. For once.
Also McCann was a horrible signing that will come back to bite them. Why on earth did they overpay for an unproven back up catcher so early in free agency? Both His defensive and offensive metrics are concerning and this has been called out by major league scouts. Should have never rushed into that. I don’t know why they did. The only thing I can think of is to put an end to being bombarded by the base to make a run for realmuto. But after that they should have given springer absolutely no reason to look elsewhere. They better hope Alvarez matures into what is expected and I mean like really soon. They have a lot of stock in Peterson who mind you didn’t even pitch 50 innings in an offensive down year. I think more question marks this year compared to years past. Not what I expected when just a few months ago Cohen was like a kid in a candy store on Twitter taking recommendations from the base on who to sign.
(A reply to icantstandyous.)
You’re in the woods, virtually alone with your way over the top (or bottom) whining and complaining.
I, and other Mets fans, have some disappointments and questions, but you’re in a different league — a minor league. 🙂
Based on Las Vegas odds, Fangraphs, and one or two other such evaluation tools, the Mets are serious World Series contenders (#6 odds) and a co-favorite , or favorite to win the National League East.
Of course, that all could be an overvaluation (I suspect as a Mets fan), but it obviously at least shows your such thoughts are obviously quite, or very irrational.
Are you a Yankees fan? Trolling? I’m kidding. No hate.
Peace. 🙂
Springer was never a perfect fit, Realmuto is a serious risk as a catcher heading into his mid-30s, and Bauer ended up going with the ungodly amount of money offered closest to home. Sure I would have liked to have added Bauer, but I’m not crying over it, and I think either of the other two would have been a mistake in two years. If Lindor and Conforto can now be afforded, I’m fine with the non-deals. Pick up a starter at the trade deadline and take your chances.
100% accurate
Mets should sign him and Walker . Trade for Kris Bryant
Why would you trade for Kris Bryant??? He is gonna make north of $19 million this year and can’t hit. You do realize that Kris Bryant cannot hit anything low and away. Just throw him sliders and watch the K’s follow. Pretty much what pitchers have been doing to him when he ain’t hurt which is why he now struggles to hit above .200.
Very berry the league has been doing that to Javier Baez and Kris Bryant. 2020 wasn’t kind to them
I’m very surprised more teams haven’t been in on Rosenthal after how he did in 2020 especially how he finished. Seemed like a player returning to form after struggling to find himself after tommy john.
Probably wants too much. It’s possible the teams waited for the reliever log jam to clear a bit.
Arte already chocked off the funds. Minasian did a horrible job signing pitching. Raisel Iglesias was a good pickup but the Cobb deal was beyond comprehension. Claudio is hardly an impact pitcher compared to others that were a available. Quintana is serviceable and at least will give the team some innings.
I see a fourth place team the way it is constructed. This is a throwaway year because there is a lack of depth in the Upper minors.
I was hoping to read that the Angels are a serious suitor as well
Sasha, I’ve been hoping for for 3 and a half months. With this set of RPs and their price, there is no excuse in having a bad bullpen.
I agree. Plethora of options to choose from. Most of their spending should have been on building the pen
Now it’s not the blue Jay’s that’s a plus
There we go.
This explains why they quit trying to sign Wilson.
mets already have Loup. & Rosenthal wants to close. This’ll help their pen a lot more than Justin Wilson would’ve.
per the mets trevor bauer deal, since they simply expressed interest, its a done deal already.
Does he get more or less than Archie Bradley?
@Ranger29 He’s going to get a lot more IMO. I think we’re looking at a multi-year 18-20 range for Rosenthal.
For sure more. In my mind Rosenthal should get something similar to what Trevor May/Blake Trienen received. I would guess like 2 years and somewhere between 16 to 18 million.
We still have no idea what the Kela/Melancon money is, but my working theory is that the Padres didn’t re-sign Rosenthal because its going to take more money to sign him than what they are going to pay both Kela and Melancon combined.
2/16 seems reasonable
I’m thinking more like 18. Mets gave 16 to May. Rosenthal is a well-established closer.
Maybe. Aside from SSS 2020, he hasn’t been great in recent years.
My guess: 2 year guarantee, 6,8 mil then 10 mil team (1m buyout) option.
Still won’t win division
Says who? Oh, you. Doesn’t count. 🙂
Diaz won’t faulter. Dudes been top shelf for all but 1 year….
Yet Mets fans will complain nonetheless
I would avoid believing in crystal ball and closers not named Mariano Rivera.
Two blown postseasons, but otherwise, great stuff.
If you think 4 blown saves in 10 opportunities is top shelf, remind me not to drink at your bar
I think the Mets really want to dump Betances and Familia. Crowded bullpen and roster. Who gets cut? Who closes? Are others going to be okay with their new roles? Either way, the Mets are going to be one of the more exciting teams to watch in 2020.
Looks like the Mets will go 0-6 with sought after free agents. Unless talks get in the “serious stage”
They obviously set a limit and stick to it.
Braves need to go after him
So now that we know Rosenthal is the latest player the Mets are “in on,” we need to know what other team is in on Rosenthal since that’s where he’ll inevitably sign.
I don’t think he’ll sign with the Mets, Angels, or Blue Jays. I think a team like the Phillies will jump on him.
I think the Mets get their man here. Seems to be they’re building an elite pen…on paper at least.
Elite? Where?
May, Diaz and Rosenthal is pretty sick. Any 1 of the 3 could close on another team.
Von, your team just might jump in and sign him!! Mets are too slow on the draw
@wright1970 I’d love Rosenthal on the Phillies, but I think they’re pretty close to the lux tax.
The Phillies have really improved their bullpen I think. They should be better.
Why would Rosenthal want to go the Mets to be a “fallback” closing option for Diaz when he could sign elsewhere as a closer? The Mets tried that with Hand and Hand wanted to close. That’s why he went to Washington. After the season he had last season, I would think Rosenthal would be the same situation.
Money.
You have to wonder why Rosenthal is still available. Definitely one of the top 3 FA relievers, after Colome and Hendriks
Based off what exactly?
Realistically, he had a 4.0 range FIP in his 14 games for KC. After that he had the 9 games he didn’t allow a run in SD, which masked the blah results for the Royals
Otherwise he has 22 horrible games in 2019 and no games pitched in 2018
That’s 3 years with only a 9 game stretch where he looked like someone you’d really want
Thats why he’s still available. 9 games in 3 years does not a “one of the top 3 FA relievers” make
Who’s your top 3?
Agree with Darkstar theres no way Im giving this guy 2 guaranteed years
Even his good days had warts and he wasnt a great team player in STl if I remember correctly
There may be a small profit on a 2/3 year deal for Rosenthal, but I would never chance those types of profits as a GM considering the risk%
Bob Apodaca time !
I was hoping the Cardinals would be up for a reunion. I liked Rosenthal but, he scared me sometimes at the back end of games.
He will end up in KC
Why? Why Trevor Rosenthal? They just let Justin Wilson slip through their hands? Why go after Rosenthal when you had Wilson in your hand? You cut Brad Brach and let Chasen Shreve go to the Pirates. Then you sign Mike Montgomery and Tommy Hunter. Makes no sense. How long are we going to wait to sign Jake Odorizzi? We still need a starter. Are we going to wait until the Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Marlins or Yankees sign him, then go, “Oh, we need a starter?”
With Wilson off the table, the Mets HAVE to be all in on Rosenthal if they want a sure thing
Dodgers need to add him.
Although it’s most likely wishful thinking at this point, I’d still like to see the Padres bring Rosenthal back to put an exclamation point on their off season. It’d give them easily the best bullpen in baseball.
The Padres have no space left in their bullpen. They are going to have to cut at least 2 players to get down to the 8 they need for their pen.
The Padres just signed two relievers, and they already had Pagan and Pomeranz. They’re not going to sign him.
Here we go with our daily dose of Mets Interested In…
I see that MLBTR is still using the “Mets Interested In [player name]” template for articles.
How many times has this been used this offseason? 15-20 times?
Seems like nobody is interested in the Mets, despite them being interested in everybody so far.
Sounds like my Tinder
The Mets need to be a little more low key. There wasn’t a peep about the Melancon or Kela signings from the Padres until a deal was reached.
This is MLB rumors, and if the rumor is out there, it should be here. That said, just as the Blue Jays were talking to just about every free agent, the Mets are too. Sometimes i think the agents float these stories out there just ti gauge interest from other teams or just to try to create
It’s not only agents, but media. Some random journalist can spout something off in an article and it picks up steam and becomes a widely reported rumor. This happens in the NY market all the time. The Blue Jays and the Mets have money. So people are writing about them being interested in everyone. Need to take it all with a grain of salt.
@drdan. Maybe the NY media is a little more aggressive in its approach and reporting than California’s?
It seems that the Mets are in on everybody on the free agent market. Good thing they were able to trade for Lindor. Free agency is not something Anderson/Cohen appear to be good at.
Yep, but even that didn’t look so good during the press conference when Lindor dodged the questions seeking a commitment to signing long term with the Mets. That was one of the funniest press conferences I’ve seen just because of the many times Lindor dodged those questions.
@Marlins
I would dodge those questions at this point too. He wants to pit a few teams against each other in order to drive up demand (and price) for his services.
If he has another big year, he’s getting paid big, even with all the SS on the market. Even with last years slash line, being more average, he gets a huge payday given his position and defense, if he goes back to crushing the ball, he’s getting one of the big boy deals.
Trade Davis to tampa for kiermaier, money and a top 10 prospect, get Bryant plus money from the Cubs, sign Rosenthal and Mets22 is gonna go crazy.
If there’s no DH then trade Alonso to the A’s for Chapman. Sign Bradley. Move Nimmo to left. Smith is a far better option at 1B than Alonso.
A lot more than that would have to go to the A’s , I like the tampa trade because I think it makes sense for both teams, Tampa always needs to save money and need another good hitter ( Davis) , I although think franco is going to play CF instead of SS, Mets get a CF and a prospect.
One more year and they will have Alonso as a DH and Dominic Smith in 1B.
Metsgolf – that would be an awesome move for the Mets. It’d take a lot more than Polar Bear, but you’d truly fix the outfield issues.
What would a realistic trade be ?? Metsies22 – you can offer the home version of a trade too.
Btw – Danny Meyer closed his NYC BBQ and Jazz spots in December, so Citi field BBQ is something to look forward to even more.
I like that the padres brought in kela and melancon, but I really wanted rosey to come back. Him on twitter is pure gold
I want him back with the Padres as long as its a 1 or 2 year deal. Seems like he hasn’t pitched much since 2018 to warrant a huge deal. I wonder what he is looking for, I figured a ridiculous amount of money and years.
What the Met fan will say” we wanted Rosenthal all along we never wanted Wilson anyway” In reality they let the better pitcher fall thru their slippery fingers yet again.
Cohen is learning that NYM are not a premium brand nor a sought after team to play for. Decades of dysfunction and little success don’t go away overnight. Hiring a septagenarian is a bad decision.
That all said- the team is in the best shape in 40 years.
Now if only Metsies Fanbois could calm down and enjoy the ride it would be nice. Come on fellas and three girls reading MLBTR- fake it till you make it. Act like you’ve been there before. Emulate your crosstown rivals who never met a playoff game they didn’t think they deserved to be in and win.
Aren’t “fake it til you make it” and “act like you’ve been there before” opposite ends of the spectrum? The casual sexism was also unnecessary.
Rosenthal wouldn’t be the lst free agent the Mets we’re interested in. Now let’s see if he actually signs with them. If they let him close games. I guess he’d consider signing.
Mets have interest means he will sign elsewhere.
Trevor. Come home to KC
I’d love this signing! Diaz could then be traded for something front line or excellent minor league pieces. If Diaz isn’t traded, this bullpen starts to looks the best since ‘86.
And he’s signed with the A’s.