10:48am: Martino tweets that an agreement between the two parties again appears close.
9:50am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets’ offer to Scherzer is in the three-year, $129MM range. Sherman suggested earlier this morning that the Mets had the top offer and the Dodgers seemed reluctant to go beyond two years (Twitter thread).
Nov. 29, 9:33am: The Mets and Scherzer’s camp have “re-engaged” after some brief downtime overnight, Martino tweets. Martino suggests that talks could be nearing the finish line.
Nov. 28: The Mets are nearing a multi-year contract with Max Scherzer, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi writes (Twitter link). Based on multiple reports from earlier tonight, Scherzer may be on the verge of signing the largest average annual value contract in baseball history. SNY’s Andy Martino reported earlier tonight that the Mets were prepared to go beyond $40MM in annual salary, and in Martino’s latest tweet, he writes that New York is offering Scherzer a $42MM AAV over either three or four years. Scherzer is represented by the Boras Corporation.
The news puts an exclamation point on a pitching search that has thus far been fruitless for the Mets, as targets such as Kevin Gausman, Jon Gray, Justin Verlander, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz have all come off the board. Matz’s deal with the Cardinals even drew some public ire from Mets owner Steve Cohen on Twitter, who accused agent Rob Martin of “unprofessional behavior” in their negotiations.
Those near-misses now fade into the background in the wake of what might be a precedent-setting contract with one of the best pitchers in baseball history. Scherzer was seen as more likely to sign with a team on the West Coast, as per his preferences when leveraging his no-trade clause to join the Dodgers back at the trade deadline. As such, teams like the Dodgers, Angels, and Giants were known to be in the hunt for the 37-year-old ace, but instead, Scherzer now seems poised to return to both the East Coast and the NL East itself, after six-plus seasons with the Nationals.
While Scherzer was already a highly accomplished pitcher before he went to Washington, he rose to legendary status after signing his seven-year, $210MM free agent pact with the Nats in the 2014-15 offseason. Scherzer’s stint in D.C. included two NL Cy Young Awards (to go with his 2013 AL Cy with the Tigers), two no-hitters, a 20-strikeout game, a 2.80 ERA over 1229 innings, and the crowning achievement of the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship. All told, a strong case can be made that Scherzer’s deal is the best mega-deal in the history of free agency.
Once the Nationals fell out of contention this summer, Scherzer and Trea Turner were dealt to Los Angeles in a blockbuster swap, and Scherzer continued to pitch well in leading the Dodgers to the NLCS. The Dodgers were still considered as the favorites to re-sign Scherzer up until just earlier this evening, as the Dodgers’ deep pockets gave them the flexibility to consider the type of huge AAV required to meet Scherzer’s asking price. MLB Trade Rumors indeed projected Scherzer to set a new AAV standard, predicting him to a land a three-year, $120MM pact to remain in Dodger blue.
Good for Scherzer. I was hoping the Giants would sign him, but more than 40 million per year is a lot.
Giants are up to something, or nothing.
The Mets are really going for it. I thought they might do this once they passed on Thor. Scherzer fits perfectly because he won’t be on a long term contract. If the Mets can add one more great starter they will be right in the thick of it. I don’t think this worries the Braves much though. They are used to facing Scherzer all the time. Same player just a different jersey. He’s also a year older. Good for the Mets for going for it. This is the offseason the Mets fans have been waiting for since Cohen took over. What’s the Mets luxury tax number at for next season now? I’m counting around $265M. They are less than $25 million away from the Dodgers all time record last year and they will still probably add another starter. I’m thinking this means the Dodgers are going after Ray or Stroman. Probably Ray. Or is this news going to be like last season when the Mets “signed” Bauer and then the Dodgers swept in?
The idea that the Mets are better than .500 if they add Scherzer is pretty funny.
The 3 additions over the weekend added 4-5 WAR to a 77 win team that dropped 12 WAR to free agency, and with Scherzer is still 90 starts short of a full complement.
They’ll pretend Carrasco, Megill, and Peterson are MLB-caliber starters, lose 82 next season, and go ‘wha happen?’
Take the needle out of your arm
Jockstrap, WAR is a BS Stat. There’s no way to prove the #s are right. We got a 3B who it 28hrs, and the best FA CFer.
@metfan4ever Really? There are still morons like you sucking puddles? Shoo.
Sorry user name autocorrect. Sorry
The only people who think WAR is a BS stay are morons who are too stupid to understand basic math.
We’ve seen the Mets falter before after making a ton of additions to their roster. Seems like a great addition but let’s see how it plays out. There’s no assuming they’ve won anything yet.
If WAR is a BS stat then why’d you sign Canha and Escobar?
OMG….enough with the WAR! There are a lot of things that go into how many games you win including luck, injuries, team chemistry etc. It’s not a one to one correlation with WAR.
@jack
Can’t help but feel exactly the same.
LMAO!! He called him Jockstrap.
I won’t say WAR is a bs stat but it’s not the end all people pretend it is
Marte, canha, Escobar add 9.6 WAR.
The 3 additions over the weekend added 4-5 WAR to a 77 win team
===========================================
I wrote the same thing as soon as they made the previous signings. They were either going to have $230M payroll, with a marginal chance of making the playoffs, or going to go close to $300M, with a marginal chance of winning the division.
fWAR in 2021:
Marte: 5.5
Escobar: 3.0
Canha: 2.6
Even if you expect a 10% drop for each of them this season, that’s 10 WAR they added…
No. I like your version of his handle better…lol
So you WAR guys predicted the Braves to win the WS this year? Right…..lol.
You need to account for the WAR they lost at each of those positions. Signing a 7 WAR player to replace a 2 WAR journeyman doesn’t add 7 WAR to your team.
The Braves had a lot of things go really, really right for them. That doesn’t mean WAR is wrong, it just means unlikely things still happen. If the Mets’ strategy is going to be “I hope a lot of players suddenly overproduce” then that’s just gambling, not strategy.
redsfan48
Even if you expect a 10% drop for each of them this season, that’s 10 WAR they added…
=============================
Fangraph projections:
Canha 1.9
Marte 3.0
Escobar 1.9
That’s 6.8, but that also includes replacing the three players that played there last year. The three new guys are better than the old guys, but the old guys still had a 103 tOPS between those three positions.
DJ-VJ
So you WAR guys predicted the Braves to win the WS this year?
==================================
Seriously? Is that the way you think statistics works? So if someone calls your AA all-in, with their 7-2 off-suit, in Hold’em, and beats you, do you think that you should always call with 7-2 off-suit?
metfan4ever
Jockstrap, WAR is a BS Stat. There’s no way to prove the #s are right. We got a 3B who it 28hrs, and the best FA CFer.
==========================================
As long as you are interested in HRs, the three guys you picked up hit 57 HRs last year. The amount of HRs that the NYMs got from those three positions were 57.
How many more wins does 5 HRs translate to? Again, everyone is saying that the RELATIVE improvement is not that great.
I don’t claim to be an expert on it, but WAR is one of the oldest and most simplistic of dozens of metrics they use. I’m sure a lot more goes into it.
One thing to take into account with WAR is actual games on the field, no? You can say a player had a 3 WAR, but if he played 50 games compared to a player who played 150 with a 2 WAR, who makes a bigger difference?
WAR is not an old thing, also it’s an agent and non-player stat. here a link
bellyupsports.com/2018/08/war-why-its-a-dumb-stati…
He turns 38 next season so even 3-4 years may turn out to be long.
This move will handcuff the Mets, I’m hopeful that Max doesn’t want to don orange and blue. The Mets dodge a bullet by not signing Bauer, not signing Max feels the same. No question that Max has been one of the best starting pitchers in MLB, but he’s 37 and had arm fatigue during the playoffs, a clear sign that his arm is about to crumble. The Dodgers are a better run team, hence their reluctance to go a third year and rightfully so. Praying that he doesn’t sign and takes the Dodgers offer of two years.
The Mets didn’t “pass” on Thor. They made him a QO and Thor said he went for the bigger deal, and didn’t give the Mets a chance to match. If he gave them that chance I bet Uncle Stevie would have given him the extra $2.6M difference
Didn’t we hear the Padres traded for him too, let’s wait until a deal is done. Scherzer has to be thinking do I really want to play for the Mets?
He might have 42 million reasons times 3 or 4 to play for them.
How much of the 42m represents a pr*ck tax for having to play for Cohen you have to wonder..
Probably 4 million annually and 2 extra years.
LOL what makes Cohen a pr**k? The fact that he brings opportunity to the Mets for probably the first time in their existence? As much as you don’t want to admit it; a. you only wish your team would dig that deep for marquee players, and b. whatever would you do with yourself if you didn’t have the Mets to smack around in the comments section.
Cohen has been an awful human being far before he owned the Mets. Google is your friend. That being said these owners are billionaires. Probably not a lot of nice fellas.
Von – “That being said these owners are billionaires. Probably not a lot of nice fellas.”
So in your world, if someone is successful, they are probably not nice? How many billionaires do you know? Comments like that are usually based on jealousy instead of facts.
I only know 1 billionaire through workplace interactions. He was not a nice fella. Of course I’m using generalizations, and I’m not saying being wealthy makes you a bad person. But generally speaking, to be that wealthy you had to step on a few toes. Most of these team owners are public figures and its not hard to find some questionable behavior behind them or their companies. Definitely a generalization and of course there are exceptions
I think people believe that just because you have money, you had to screw someone to get it. That may be true in some cases but many people simply worked hard and were smart. Being good at business and successful doesn’t automatically mean someone is a jerk, that’s all I’m saying.
Delusional.
Mets are a horribly run franchise.
@prove356 Absolutely agree. There’s not always a direct correlation between wealth and morality.
Hey look. Steinbrenner was an even bigger jerk and also got in legal trouble (incidentally leading to the greatest sports comment of all time by Reggie Jackson, roughly…One’s a born liar, the other is convicted). So if I no longer hear lol Mets, you can hate Cohen all you want as long as he brings us a WS win.
That was NOT Reggie’s comment. That was said by Billy Martin, about Jackson & Steinbrenner in summer 1978, and he was fired shortly thereafter.
I love my Mets and I’ve been a fan since 1964, but this move is not good and I’m hopeful that it doesn’t come to fruition. Max is a Lamborghini with 500 thousands miles on it. His arm is about to crumble and that contract will handcuff this team worse than Cano’s current contract.
@nymetfan
In spite of the moves, we still have the Mets to smack around until they show it on the field. Until then, we don’t need to find something else to do.
I stand corrected. It was Billy Martin (about Reggie and George).
Whoa… The Mets are going to pay this guy $42M a year when he’s in his 40’s? I know some pitchers last longer than position players but that’s insane. This guy is very likely to start declining as soon as next season at his age.
Next season???? Did you see Max in the playoffs? He started to decline this year.
Would you really be that surprised Mets are still paying Bonilla in his 50s
His 3rd best career walk ratio at age 36 really suggests he’s started to decline. And his sub 3 ERA in the postseason this really speaks to your point.
Say wha???
It probably went Cohen/eppler : how much do you want, scherzer? Boras 42 million per year for 4 years. Mets: OK!!!
Desperate teams do desperate measures. It’s probably an overpay, the Mets probably didn’t shop around first. Scherzer is still good, but at 42 per year? A 32 year old scherzer would command top dollar.
And they’re still paying bobby bonilla.
@DODGER, you fail to mention that Roberts totally mis-managed his pitching staff once again in the playoffs this year. There was zero reason to bring in Max and Julio in relief roles this year (2020 was different with Julio). I think the 9th inning of game 5 of the NLDS against my team greatly contributed to Max’s arm issues in the NLCS.
GiantsPhan
Roberts was told how to handle rotation by front office.
Why do you say once again? This is the first year that I think they were a little too cute. Generally I think highly of Dodgers FO and Roberts. I also think highly of Giants FO and manager, though Kapler has some creepy comments out there he did a great job.
“Whoa… The Mets are going to pay this guy $42M a year when he’s in his 40’s?”
He’s 37 and it’s reportedly a 3-year deal. Grab your calculator.
He turns 38 during the middle of next season. If he signs a 3 year deal, he ends it at the age of 40. 4 year deal sees him pitching while he is 41.
The Braves are still paying Bruce Sutter
I’m a Nationals fan and I thought he was declining in 2019 when Stras was rising. I avoided him in Fantasy baseball drafts like the plague. That blew up in my face this past season. He was just as nasty as ever this past season. I guess the Mets are the lesser of two evils from a taxation perspective. Why guys would sign in Cali or NY blows my mind. The state governments just feast on these contracts. Kudos to Semien for taking his talents to Texas (and leaving a bunch of money in his pockets). Granted, these guys are financially well off either way, but considering these deals are all about money anyways, why not “TRULY” take the most amount home vice “on paper” appearing that you take the most amount home. I guess it’s ego driven either way.
Stras rising in 2019? He was good long before that. Maybe you are referring to his injury recovery.
Yes
Sorry user name autocorrect. Sorry
No. Scherzer has to be thinking do I really want to take all this money from the Mets?
That would be a yes.
Zerbs63, that is true. Scherzer was almost traded to the Padres until the Dodgers stepped up at the last moment. Bauer almost signed with the Mets last year, until the Dodgers stepped up. I guess we should wait for ink on contract before we assume the Dodgers won’t step up again. I suspect all things equal, Scherzer does prefer the Dodgers and the west coast. So far, it appears things are not equal.
Don’t think they ever said the Padres were getting him. They said the Padres were in talks to acquire him.
Exactly, if he were excited about joining the Mets he would have signed the contract last night, but he didn’t, which is a clear indication that he prefers to stay in the west coast and not pitch against the Nationals. Max is not signing with the Mets, so you heard it here first when the news breaks.
Richard Alicea… That is one of the silliest comments I have ever heard. If he wasn’t interested in the Mets, he wouldn’t waste time with them. And what does one more day have to do with it?
I think fans make WAY too much of the supposed confusion in the Mets front office. I’m not a Mets fan, but I think they’ll be damn good—especially if they add another starter.
42mil per year for 4 years
Wow, Mets finally got somebody! Good for them!
Combine that with the $15M he’ll be getting annually from WAS over the life of that contract, and he’s actually making $57M/year. That’s insane.
How in MLB with a luxury tax at what 220 million do you pay someone 42 million, unless they are Max Scherzer, Then you pay them 80 million.
Stupid deal for the Mets but should we really be surprised at this point with Cohen’s buffoonery?
Basically swapped one gigantic injury risk for another. I mean $40 mil for those years is insane at his age and mileage.
Only a stupid deal if you care about money or the luxury tax. If they are open to a 330 million payroll the gamble might work. Not the right way to build a baseball team, but I am more upset with low spenders like the Pirates than egomaniacs like Cohen.
Isn’t this the way the Dodgers got to where they are? 2015 Dodgers had a 317 million dollar payroll, if you add inflation on average of 1.5% per year that equals to about a 345 million payroll in present day.
The path was made, all the Mets are doing now is following it.
Exactly!
I hope Max threw a bullpen session before they offered that money. I’d be hesitant after the whole “dead arm” thing in the World Series.
Scherzer would be a good fit for Giants rotation but not at his age or mega dollars. Too many other options available for less dollars.
Sure hope Zaidi is not asleep at the wheel with all that money available to spend to improve the 2022 Giants.
Plenty of pitching options out there – Ray, Rodon, Stroman, Kikuchi, Bassitt, Manaea, Montas, Castillo, Gray and bullpen options like Taylor Rogers or Kenley Jansen.
Btw What happy to Alex Cobb? Been over a week since first reported Giants were in serious contact with Cobb.
Not one of the pitchers you mention is even close to Scherzer, and that includes Ray (possibly a one-year wonder). Now that Gausman is gone, they’d better trade for Castillo, if he’s available. Otherwise, the Giants rotation is in trouble.
400 comments now. Let’s get this to 500!
deGrom and Scherzer next to each other in the rotation is just nasty.
Next to each other on the IL seems more likely.
Nope. Degrom will be fine next year. Healthy career fir the most part before that.
All see’er
Age is the great equalizer. He’s 34 next season and it’s fairly common for once healthy players, especially pitchers, to become chronically unhealthy as they trend into their 30s and certainly mid-30s.
Jacob, though, might be able to learn how to pace himself a bit better with some guidance from Scherzer as deGrom’s max-effort style likely will lead to further break downs as he ages. What happened to deGrom in 2021 should be taken as a warning. Will he listen?
Rob M. –
He’s 37, not 34. Insane contract for someone of that age
Like Nolan Ryan did with the same injury?
He was taking about degrom
KCJ, I was referring to deGrom. You’re correct, though, in that at 37 Scherzer could slip quickly, as can deGrom at 34. Or, Scherzer could be like Verlander at 37. (I mean 36, as he was undergoing TJS at 37. Or maybe I did mean 37?!)
I think degrom throwing 102 consistently has something to do with his injuries, he was a hard thrower before but not this hard. Starting doing this before 2020 season got underway and since then he seems have had pretty consistent injury problems… it’s not like he was doing bad before those seasons
With all due respect, Verlander started banging a girl half his age. Dude found the fountain of youth during this mid-life crisis. Typically not the norm for an MLB pitcher.
Maybe pull a Smoltz and make DeGrom your closer now that Max can be the ace…?
You’re only as old as the woman you feel 🙂
Lol…yaa, must have been the girl that did it.
Scherzer won’t officially sign the deal until his dead arm is healthy enough for him to press down on a pen.
@Cey Hey, he’ll officially sign THAT deal by shoving a pen in his right nostril and scribbling his name down on the contract with his nose if that’s what it takes. Holy cow. I was hoping the Giants would go big and sign him, but not for 4/168. Sheeesh!
That’s a silly take. Aside from deGrom this past season, they’ve both been extremely durable throughout their entire careers.
Except they are old pitchers now with lots of mileage on their arms. Hell, Scherzer ended this past playoffs with a dead arm.
Expecting good health from pitchers their age is asking a lot.
Degrom doesn’t have a lot of mileage. He started pitching very late.
@Chris G Scherzer literally had dead arm in the playoffs. Missed starts. The injury concern is not a silly take. It just happened.
Scherzer hasn’t been 37 his entire career either
Lmao that’s a good one. On the DL together.
Hopefully deGrom can stay healthy
Over/under on how many weeks next season they actually are in the active roster at the same time? 15 weeks?
So was DeGrom and Syndergaard and that got them to the playoffs once, maybe twice.
Scherzer is solidly better than Thor, even at his age.
Hard to say no to $40 mil per, even if you have to play for the Mets.
I’d take a few mil less to pitch for someone else. Don’t do it Max.
Mets fans can no longer talk about the owner bit spending. They will though be talking about the team’s weak farm system if they still don’t win. The paint on the bulls eye is still drying.
6 picks in the top 100 will help that
agreed…I really thought he’d pick a contending team at age 37. Oh well, money talks and he already has A) his World Series ring and B) his ticket to Cooperstown.
How are the Mets not a contending team? They were in first for most of the season last year until the Braves finally started to bother playing. No team in the nl east is perfect and the Mets have gotten a lot better in the last few days.
They ended up 5 games under 0.500. That is all that matters. If they were in first in July it just shows how crappy they were the last two to three months. Overall, they were a team that was 5 games under 0.500, not really a contender.
So what you’re saying is the Mets decided to stop playing?
The Mets had losing seasons in 2021 and 2020. The start of 2021 was the fluke for the Mets, not the end. They were flat out horrible the second half.
That said, I fully expect them to contend in 2022, but let’s not gloss over how bad the Mets have been the past two seasons.
You mean they started losing when they lost the best sp in baseball? Imagine that
And when you look at 2020 remember they lost Stroman and Syndergaard the whole year so finishing 27-33 would prob have been more like 33-27 with those two (especially considering how bad the sp was)
This is baseball. Jacob maybe doesn’t even get them to .500. Go look at their 2nd half record. They were a bad team that over performed in the first half. No need to waste time “defending” a bad team. Look forward to what they’re building in 2022.
Thats like saying braves lost Soroka, Acuna and Travis…
They won the WS if I remember correctly.
That’s true but they picked up some guys who played way over their heads too. They weren’t in first before those players got hurt.
Throwing around a ton of money down automatically doesnt make you a contender. That’s all they have done in the last couple of days.
And Ozuna.
Huh? They had huge injury issues and still finished with 77 wins. You win 10-12 more games next year and you are in the playoff hunt
We were in first because all the other teams were asleep at the wheel. If you look back we were a 500 team for most of the time we spent in first place, that in an of itself is very telling. We could never get over the 5 games above 500 for almost 2 months. This team just lost Stroman who pitched well and Walker was lights out during that span in first place. With that said, adding a dead arm like Max will not move the needle that much even with Degrom at his best. The Mets as currently constituted is a 80 win team, and that’s having Degrom back. It makes no sense to go after Max if we don’t beef up the offense by adding Baez, adding an additional top tier pitcher and a left handed relief pitcher. Now if its Cohen’s intention to mirror what the Dodgers did to get into contention, then I’m all for it, but giving a 37 year old pitcher, who’s arm died during the playoffs, a massive contract is not the right way forward in my humble opinion.
hard to not consider the Mets a contender with the talent on their roster.
Wow, really? The Mets are a talented team in a weak division. I don’t think Braves fans (especially with their rotation) should get too smug). BTW, I’m not a Mets fan.
Wow.
Good for the Mets and Scherzer.
Glad the Angels didn’t over pay.
Need Stroman in LAA now!
But this makes LAD a possible spot for Stroman too.
Pitchers are flying off the board!!
And SF.
No you’re not. I refuse to believe an Angels fan would turn down a great pitcher on a short deal.
I am. That means we can go in on Stroman, and Iglesias.
Next year Upton’s contract will be up and we will be able to spend again.
I’m not really an Angels fan, but Arte’s track record of ignoring the problems the team has in favor of signing big name starts to bloated contracts would make me more nervous than excited knowing that he’ll be able to spend again after next season.
I guess, but Stroman isn’t Scherzer.
That payroll is already top-heavy and they still need to extend Ohtani. He would have been great of course but they have a long history of having payrolls constrain moves. What’s more telling is that the Angels were reportedly in this derby, which means they had to approach 40 mil, perhaps for one year, which means they can blow past their $182 mil 2021 payroll (they’re $25 mil away now). Perhaps it’s only for the right player, but still.
YES BILLY EPPLER GO FOR THE KILL BRING THE LEAGUE TO ITS KNEES
It’s Cohen writing the checks. Eppler didn’t have that advantage with the Angels. Moreno told him to reduce payroll, told him he couldn’t sign pitchers to multi-year deals, and gave him a crap farm system that was ranked near the bottom for years before Eppler came in. To his credit he did get back up to #6 and several top prospects are now on the Angels, including Adele. He’ll do fine with the Mets.
My account should be called EpplerFan because I only follow baseball to see what kind of moves Ol’ BillyBoy is making
Waiting for you to rename to FletcherandEppler_9
Did Eppler sign Adele and Adell?
It’s only money, right? But wow.
Scherzer making the rounds to runner-ups before running through the Hall of Fame. Dan Marino energy.
$40MM, for multiple years? Mets really are working on buying a World Series Championship no matter what the cost…
Isn’t that the whole point of fielding a team?
A World Series champion has never been built that way.
2009 Yankees say hello
What are you talking about. How can you not remember the Dodgers….
12+ years of mediocrity answering the waving back with a stupid grin
There have been a lot of World Series champions who have been built that way. What are you talking about?
2020 – Dodgers – 2nd in payroll
2019 – Nats – 7th
2018 – Red Sox – 1st
2016 – Cubs – 6th
et cetera. Some teams pay a lot to get into the playoffs and let the chips fall where they may. Spending doesn’t guarantee success, and some organizations are successful despite not spending, but teams that spend more, on the whole, do better than teams that don’t. Take a look at MLB payrolls and compare winning percentage as you go down the list. Or google ‘does spending correlate with winning mlb’.
Wrong. The Yankees last title came after they signed teixera, Burnett and Sabathia in the same offseason. Pretty sure it was ‘09
Which Dodgers you talking about?
2020 they werent over luxury threshold and won
2021 they were over luxury threshold and lost
“There have been a lot of teams built that way”
Then gives a list of 4 teams as examples….. 4
fact is 15 of the last 17 WS winners were teams in the top 8 in league payroll. So of course $ = higher WS probability. That’s baseball!
It’s needed until they build up their farm system up more. And they do have some decent relatively young players under 30….let’s see….Alonso, Lindor, McNeil, Nimmo….they also have some good 3rd base propects and a good catcher coming up.
Most of all Yankees championships were bought. And many of the early ones were easy in an 8 team AL. Easy too without having to compete against many of the best players who were banned to the Negro Leagues.
The butt hurt runs strong through this one.
Rob, I was dying when I read this. Thank you for that.
The Yankees tried for years, why shouldn’t the Mets try
The Yankees payroll in 2021 was the same as it was 15 years ago, which means they’re spending less while all the competition increases their payroll. Every year, the Yankees are attached to all the free agents by writers and agents, but they generally target a big name every few years. Fans of other teams fear the Yankees will sign all the free agents. They don’t.
Yeah that’s the 2021 Yankees though. no one’s emulating the current Yankees rather than prior iterations.
Teams rarely ever buy championships, but the smart teams supplement their rosters with key free agents. The Mets, however, under Cohen are going to do their best to buy some championships. It still won’t be easy. Baseball is difficult.
@snoopy
Right out of the dodgers playbook. look how that’s turned out.
The Dodgers had/have a homegrown nucleus. The Mets are trying to do the opposite.
“The Dodgers had/have a homegrown nucleus”
A homegrown nucleus with the highest payroll in the sport. What does it matter if they’re homegrown if you’re shelling out the money either way? I don’t understand the distinction.
So do the Mets actually in degrom Alonso McNeil nimmo… I hate that they’re losing conforto and lost Syndergaard but a change is needed.. and I’m sure Dom will be gone… but they have homegrown guys, they’re trying to bring in supplemental pieces… I wouldn’t consider Canha and Escobar “buying a title”… they’re basically depth guys for a team that will rotate a lot of pieces in IF and OF.. scherzer and Lindor are the big signings.. even marte at 4/78 is not a big deal these days
The Mets have plenty of homegrown players. The Dodgers have an absurd payroll of hired guns.
rct:
Homegrown nucleus, half your team is cheap from farm system, other half from big spending
No homegrown nucleus, only a couple good players from farm (e.g., deGrom and Alonso), rest from big spending
Even the high salary Dodgers and Yankees teams had multiple home grown players. Kershaw, Urias, May, Bellinger, Seager, Jansen,
The big difference between the big spenders and the small spenders is that the small spenders cannot retain their homegrown stars. So I am NOT saying that the small spenders are on a level playing field, of course not.
But it is not easy to take deGrom and Alonso and say that I am going to outbid the league to replace the rest with free agents. But there is always a first. and deGrom and Scherzer are unusual. If they are healthy for the post-season they could carry a team to WS like Scherzer and Straburg did for the Nationals. Or with deGrom and Scherzer injured, they could be a 300 million team with 77 wins.
None of W. Smith, Muncy, Seager, Lux, Taylor, T Turner, J. Turner, Bellinger, Buehler, Kershaw, Urias, May, Gonsolin, Jansen, Scherzer, Graterol or Barnes, were acquired via free agency. They’ve also lost some good ones like Kike and Joc. They pay handsomely to keep their players which has been instrumental in their high payroll. Isn’t this what we all want our teams to do?
Wrong young grasshopper.
This post was for iml12
Sorry user name autocorrect. Sorry
Name them.
Huh? I’m not saying the Mets have the best core, but I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say that half of the team or even core was bought in free agency. That might change in a couple of years but nah, it’s not like that yet.
Lindor, Marte, Canha, Scherzer, Walker, McCann…ummm yea. This team is store bought.
I’m just glad LA homegrowns Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray and Carrillo are out of the NL West
@left. Justin Turner and Max Muncy were added to the Dodgers via free agency.
It’s needed until they build up their farm system up more. And they do have some decent relatively young players under 30….let’s see….Alonso, Lindor, McNeil, Nimmo….they also have some good 3rd base propects and a good catcher coming up. They can drop some of the recently signed guys when the propects come up
Degrom, Nimmo, McNeil, Smith, Peterson, Familia, Magill, Alonso, Ali Sanchez…what’s your point? And they only recently lost Wheeler, Matz, Rosario, Giminez, etc. They also have some good propects coming up and mentioned building up their farm system. You can do both you know.
Snoopy369 –
It’s plain stupidity to give a guy a 4 year deal at age 37 for $42 mil a year. Is he going to be worth a crap at ages 40 and 41?? I’d bet no, and the history of baseball agrees with me. The Mets are stupid and desperate
It’s just money, there’s no cap. Who cares how much it costs if you have that much money. Its only stupid if it handcuffs you in the future.
I agree with Jeremiah in the sense that if the Mets are willing to spend 350 million they could be the best team in baseball even if only Scherzer or deGrom is healthy. Sign Ray and Stroman, put Correa or Seager at 2B, and Taylor in outfield.. But at 290 million, I will take Braves, Dodgers and even Brewers over the Mets. I really hope deGrom is healthy even though I am not a huge Mets fan. He is so amazing when he is at his best. I hope that his career is not over.
Holy SH#T. Let’s Go Mets!
These guys that always go “lol Mets” are about to eat crow on this one.
Unless he gets old fast.
Lol no, Mets will continue to be a laughing stock. By spending so much on three 33 year old position players and a 38 year old pitcher, the Mets will have a payroll likely over $300M when all is said and done, for the oldest team in baseball. When the Mets miss the playoffs yet again next year, LOL Mets will be heard louder than ever,
If he stays healthy!! It’s a gamble—- but he should be well worth the money. Arm trouble during those years? The Mets will eat a lot of cash.
We will see if the Mets are the new Yankees or the new Angels. And if the Mets can build a farm system in just 3-4 years.
There’s a difference between the ‘new’ Yankees and the Angels? Do explain
Even a broken clock is right twice per day.
Vomitrocious
Rosenthal tweeted the Dodgers may lose Seager to the Rangers.
I don’t believe he tweeted that. I saw him tweet they’re interested.
The Mets need more than just Scherzer thou, maybe a lefty too Rodon ? Trade for Means ?
Rodon would be a great addition
Rodon on DL 2016, 17, 18, TJ surgery in 19, ran out of gas at the end of this year
Seems like the Dodgers would baby him appropriately throughout the course of a season
Means makes sense. Esp to unload dom or mcniel.
Except that Orioles are going to want much more.
Call up the Reds and get Castillo kids going to shine when he gets out of Cincinnati
Holy hell. Cohen got pissed about Matz and redefined eff you money. This is awesome.
What’s the point of having F U money if you never say F U!
Mark it.
The Mets signing Scherzer I think increases the Dodgers odds of signing Seager. They’ll shift money in that direction. Maybe.
The Dodgers aren’t signing Seager. The best we can expect is bringing back Kershaw. Other than that, it will be a bunch of bits and bobs in an effort to get below the CBT.
Agreed. I think they let Kershaw come back as long as he wants to and contract is not too out of whack compared to market. Doubt Kershaw would push for more money than market though. I wonder if Kershaw wants to move on knowing that the Dodgers are in decline.
This is crazy. Still need another arm. I’d go Rodon then you gotta cap it off with Baez and trade McNeil Smith and Davis for relief pitchers
As a Nationals fan this hurts my heart. As a fan of Max, make that money!!!!!!
Just unreal… the Mets blowing the Yankees out of the free agent water! Is the world Flat now???
Yankees once again miss out. Mets aren’t playing around this time. Good to see big money being spent.
JeetFan2 –
The Yankees didn’t miss out on anything. They were smarter than to beat the idiotic Mets offer to pay a 40 and 41 year old $42 million dollars in 3-4 years. What a stupid thing to do. Think the Tigers have liked paying Miguel Cabrera all this money after he was washed up? How about the Angels and Pujols? I guess the Mets didn’t learn
@KCJ- I kind of disagree with you. I’ll tell you why. If the Mets win a Championship in the next 4 years, then it was all worth it then. If the Yankees signed Mad Max for 4 years I would of been fine with it. Max has proven he is better than Cole right now. With a healthy deGrom and Max the Mets will now have have 2 solid aces in their rotation. Of course 3 years and a club option would of been preferable. This was the only way the Mets could sign him, was by offering him the 4 years.
Max’s jersey will go great next to former Met aces like Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana.
On the “pitching greats who didn’t win a World Series with the Mets” wall?
I see all the Mets’ haters are salty tonight. That list is not bad company, even if they were all very accomplished by the time they joined.
Also, we don’t know what will happen in the CBA. It’s possible we could see both a hard floor ($100M) and a hard cap ($300M).
Mets are going over the hard cap you just suggested.
LOL Expect they aren’t getting Max. Max, is either going to the Dodgers, or Angles.
only to bite their behind!
Scherzer is obviously great
But he hasn’t finished the last two postseasons he’s been a part of.
He had the dead arm last year but pitched game 7 of the 2019 World Series so I’m not sure what you mean.
Mets defense is still not very good, bad at 3b, 2b,lf, rf, and first base. Met will be lucky to finish 500 in 2022.
Marte in center means Nimmo in left, thats pretty good outfield d. Alonso is at least league average at first and McNiel is a average 2b, where’s the bad d? Could still be in on biez too.
They must be watching reruns of 2019 and 2020 games.
And dom at 1B with Pete DH is a very good 1Bman. If they bring back Baez too then their defense is fuego. Lineup as well.
Pete’s a better glove than Dom.
Baez is key, if they are going all out for Max then Baez is a no brainer to retain. His swagger, defensive and offensive skills are off the charts. If they don’t bring him back then they are just another 80 win team with a large payroll.
I’m a Dodgers fan and want him to come back, but I’m all for Billionaires spending their money and basically not being the A’s. Good for Cohen and for the fanbase. Good luck to the Mets.
Cohen acting like a poker player on tilt; lost a sort-of big hand with the Matz situation, and how he’s pissed off and playing like there’s no tomorrow.
Haha so good!
He’ll go full tilt if some other team comes in and lands Max.
I kind of feel like Max deserves better. Hopefully this works out for Mets fans because their organization has been a bit on the dysfunctional side
Changing the culture baby. Changing the culture.
Max could chose 168 mil/4 yrs with Mets or 120 million/3 yrs with Dodgers or 80 mil/2 years with Giants, Angels and maybe a dozen other teams. He made his bed now he can lay in it. Again, if he and Jacob are healthy, maybe Mets make playoffs. It is a gamble that would mess up many teams’ future, but maybe not for Cohen if he intends to spend at high levels for a long time.
And the Mets will still suck.
I don’t think this is the smartest move due to Scherzer going into his age 38 season with a history of back issues. Signing a mix of Matz,Gray, and trading for a guy like Castillo or Beiber would of been a better way of bolstering the team but what do I know. All those moves would probably be cheaper than signing Scherzer as well
It’s just money and the Mets have plenty.
They’re really paying him for the playoffs.
I prefer the Dodgers to re-sign Seager and Taylor. That being said, Cohen is turning the Mets into a different team. If they can enhance their farm system, that would sure help. And trade Smith and Davis to Rockies for permission to hire Bud Black as Mets’ manager. Schmidt may be happy to have excuse to hire his own man.
Doubt they resign Seager
Possibly Taylor
Other teams can offer substantially more to Seager.
Seager to Yankees seems most likely.
Taylor going to Red Sox to play CF while Hernandez moves to 2B seems likely.
There gonna bring in buck.
I’m okay with letting Seager walk. But if they re-sign him, look for Trea Turner to be traded for solid rotation help.
If you think Seager will be expensive wait and see what Trea will get in a year. Dodgers should sign Seager. And yes Mets could easily make playoffs if deGrom and Scherzet are healthy all year. And what a wild card game is the two go back to back. But so would not bet all my lunch money in both being healthy all year.
I think most likely Scherzer, Seager and Taylor all won’t be back with the Dodgers unless they take much less than market. Meaning they won’t be back. Not the worst thing in the world to hit a mini reset button here for the Dodgers. I wonder if Kershaw and Jansen also sign elsewhere. They will still have a competitive team but not WS caliber team. They need to get more elite prospects at the farm. You knew this day would come at some point as it would be cost prohibitive to sign all their free agents.
I agree, but I also don’t think LA is in “decline.” They have many great prospects not too far off. They are simply in a blip in competitiveness. They still make the playoffs, and anything can happen there. Being as good as they were didn’t help them much in the playoffs anyways.
Scott Boras has made a lot of $$$ today….
He’s the best agent out there, which is why he’s so hated by other agents and owners. If i was gifted with MLB talent, Boras would be my agent.
Just wishful thinking that Scherzer would be a Cardinal the 3 years. Probably better for all of those concerned that he’s going to the Mets.
Largest AAV in history. Well Mets finally got their man. 10th times the charm.
Mets haters quiet
davidk1979 –
No, they’re all laughing hysterically at the ridiculously stupid contract they just gave out. Might be ok for next year. Maybe even the year after. But when he’s 40 and 41 they’re gonna pay him $42 mil a year? Good luck with that. Nolan Ryan is the ONLY pitcher who’s been worth a crap at that age in my 50 years. Plain stupid.
Seems more like you’re hoping this algorithm for projecting players’ health comes true as you clearly hate the idea that Mets will have the two best pitchers in baseball. Nolan Ryan isn’t the only one either, that is just another thing you are using to fit your narrative. Clemens was dominant into his 40s, Johnson as well. Hell, in 2005 they finished 1 and 2 in the NL CY. Adam Wainwright is 40 and he just had an excellent season. Smoltz was still dominant as a 39-40 year old. Mussina finished his career as a 20 game winner with a great ERA at the age of 39.
What do all of these guys have in common? Oh ya, they’re HOF caliber players… which Scherzer certainly is, too. Who in their right mind would opt for Matz over Scherzer? Age isn’t a good enough argument here. Also, Mets may be spending money, but they are not compromising their farm system. They are adding without having to give up anything. Hate away.
They definitely will *not* have the best two pitchers in baseball. As much as I hate the Mets, I’m not going to sit here and try to say Scherzer and DeGrom aren’t good. Neither are currently the best, however.
All the people used to typing LOLMets all the time just looking at their phones confused and angry right now
Mets fans starting to chant, “Steve-en Co-hen! Steve-en Co-hen!”
Gotta think Dodgers, Giants and Angels are doing diligence on Stroman right now.
Like they did with Bauer?
Hopefully Bauer has taught them. Didn’t Bauer show he was a jerk going after a younger woman’s social media post? Stroman has a huge ego but seems ok. Liked by Mets clubhouse but not so much in Toronto. Maybe he matured?
Remember when the Padres were close to acquiring Max?
I guess the Mets are putting all the marbles on winning in 2022. If they don’t, back to the cell they go.
Also, the Dodgers couldn’t win with their rotation last season. What makes the Mets think they will with a top-heavy rotation, worse offense, worse depth, worth farm, and worse bullpen than the Dodgers?
So whyd you change your username once the Braves won the world series after you spent the entire year dissing them and telling Freeman to sign elsewhere?
@Faith in the Padres: Thank you!!! I had been wondering what the little rat had changed his name too. Been wanting to ask him myself if he thinks Freddie Freeman will ever win a ring with the Braves. Blows mind how often he puts his ridiculous predictions in his name.
He was the same guy who used his name to state the Braves would not win in the playoffs if they didn’t sign Bumgarner. Oh yes. He is our version of MetsFan22.
Don’t forget that he also spent a year and and a half stating Acuna was overrated and fried was nothing more than a back end rotation piece.. loves to gloat when he thinks he is right but never owns up to his completely false predictions, lol
The Mets: where pitchers go to break.
Smacky – Don’t insult the Angels like that.
Good for Max. If healthy, he and Degrom would be very bad news for the Phils. Now if Dave D would wake up/come back from vacation and start making some moves that’d be better!
Lol Mets.
We don’t even know what kind of arm he has. It wasn’t working the last time we saw him. His elbow or shoulder very well could be hamburger meat.
Smacky
During the 2021 regular season, he was prime chuck.
$40+ million per seaaon for a 38 year old Pitcher. Doesn’t scream desperate at all…
Screams, “NOBODY’S GONNA TURN ME DOWN AGAIN EVEN IF I HAVE TO PAY OUT THE @$$”
The caps were for emphasis on the yelling part, obviously.
Over the hill.
Mets fans are all like, I hope Degrom can stay healthy. That’s a very reasonable comment, but where are the I hope Max scherzer can stay healthy comments. Dude is 37 and if rumours are correct the AAV is north of 40 mil a year on a multi year contract. That’s scary. Degrom has an opt out after next year. If he stays healthy and performs he’s going to ask for 5 and 250 if Scherzer gets his contract…lol. Fun times ahead for the mets!
There’s no cap in baseball and Coen has 14 billion dollars, who cares about money?
People are always generous with other people’s money. Mainly politicians.
Jeremiah –
In case you didn’t know, the collective bargaining agreement ended and there very well could be a cap in the very near future. Mostly to prevent idiocy like this or the Trevor Bauer contract.
Could be, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Interesting comments from you two.
If this contract goes through it will galvanize the majority of MLB owners, and rest assured that there will be a major work stoppage….the 2022 season will be in doubt.
This rumor makes Lindor’s contract look reasonable.
Hi AAV is nothing new
Bauer signed a 3 year 102 mill deal last off season. He’s scheduled to make 32 mill this year.
Scherzer signing possibly a 3 year 126 mill deal, 42 mill a year, won’t galvanize owners.
If anything owners would be happier to sign players to shorter deals than longer deals. Yes they pay more per year but they pay significantly less overall.
Players will only agree to a cap if there is a floor and significantly sooner free agency. More likely, none of those things.
Max the next pitcher the Mets will break. I get 40 mill per is probably worth it at this point for him lol.
So he used his NTC to block a trade to New York at the deadline, pulled himself from a nlcs game because of a dead arm and now he’s taking his dead arm to the Mets? Does his agent work for the braves?
I just listened to a whole lot of people claim Texas paying Semien 175 over the course of seven years until he’s 38 is “stupid” and “disastrous” and I know a lot of those same people are going to applaud New York for paying Scherzer 168 over the course of four years STARTING at 37.
I mean I’m happy for Mets fans. But come on now.
You can’t compare the two. Scherzer has a better track record. With Semien you’re praying he doesn’t turn into the pre-2019 version.
Scherzer pulled himself out of a playoff game a month ago because he had a dead arm. He’s 37 years old. Hoping a 31 year old doesn’t revert to the player he was three years ago and potentially paying a 37 year old pitcher 160+ million are definitely not the same things. One is substantially more risky.
AAV’s are reaching NBA levels now. This is insane lol. I’ve loved mad max for ages despite him never pitching for my team but over 40 mill per year for a almost 38 year old pitcher (as great as he has been) ? YIKES
Keep in mind he is already getting 14MM for the next 7 years from the Nats. That’s $56MM for each of the next 4 years.
The Mets are doing the same thing the Dodgers did, over spend to compete while the farm replenishes.
The Dodgers had Stan Kasten and Freidman running the team. The Mets have Billy Eppler.
You do realize with each of the upper tier players they sign they forfeit a high draft pick?
Not sure how you restock the farm with out trading for prospects when you’re lighting your top draft picks on fire.
You do realize they haven’t signed anyone with draft picks attached. No qo on Marte or Sherzer.
You are correct here. My bad.
None of the free agents the Mets have signed will make them forfeit a draft pick, including Scherzer.
The Dodgers farm system has always been good during the Friedman era.
Two schools of thought here. Mets obviously are getting a great pitcher. Good for them, but it’s not without concern. The Mets rotation is full of potential injury risks, and outside of the amazing 1-2 punch isn’t that great. Mets will be paying a 40 year old man 40mm in his 3rd year. Mets payroll will be skyrocketing towards the 300 mark, and I still can’t say with confidence that they will win the division. What I do see is a 3 year plan. They’re going hard now with these short term deals. They can fall back under the tax in 3 years and regroup. Met fans deserve to be excited (as they were last year), but the injury bug will rear it’s ugly head, especially with a 38 year old pitcher with dead arm. Cohen is insane. Enjoy him. Fear him. Mock him. Love him. It’s going to be nuts.
@Von, yes. The potential negative is Scherzer slips into being merely good, DeGrom Has now slipped into injury prone, and the three batters they signed on Friday, all 33, begin to trend down next year. Huge payroll and still a mediocre team.
My experience with baseball is rarely does everything go right or wrong. Somewhere between. They’ll be better. How much TBD. They will be expensive.
Do you think Max will be ok with being #2 in the rotation?
Fair question. I’m guessing when he sees his first paystub he’ll be OK with being #20 in the Mets rotation
It’s a non-issue for at least another season anyway.
It’s probably a lot of fun being Billy Eppler right now. I wonder how much fun it’ll be next summer and fall. Free agent Voltroning almost never works, but it did in NYC in 2009.
The difference is that team had been averaging 94 wins the four previous seasons, and had a great core with Jeter, Cano, Rivera, Posada, Matsui, etc. They then went for the kill to push them over the hump. Smart move then, and obviously in retrospect. What the Mets are trying to do is take a legitimately bad team and attempt to buy a championship. And, btw, I have no problem with that at all. Play to win. Use all your resources. The team across town no longer does that.
Rob, most people who talk this way about NYY are simply ignorant of their actual teams. They simply repeat commentary they’ve heard.
@YankeeClipper, it makes them feel better about their own team that can’t play at the level. The Yankees haven’t had a losing season since the early ’90s. Their bad seasons are good seasons for other clubs. I applaud the Dodgers for what they’ve done. I’m fine with the Mets going for it to buy a championship. Maybe it will jolt Hal into further action. He’s actually a good owner, he does spend a lot on the team top to bottom, but he doesn’t do enough to push the MLB club across the goal line in recent years, to mix my sports metaphors. He did in 2009. He had a good club that he recognized could win it with a some key signings. That’s the guy we need back.
Eppler just set himself up to be the fall guy should these moves not work out, so I do hope he is having fun
I doubt he was getting too many phone calls, he has nothing to lose but his pride. (Not much.)
I like him anywhere but in LA!! Come on Mets land that guy
Anywhere out of the NL west is ideal
Degrom needs to fire his agent immediately
He can opt out after 2022. Stay healthy, and he’ll eclipse Scherzer’s deal easily.
Come on, make it 3/$150 million or 4/$200 million, I wanna see $50 million a year. Seriously though, what a statement from both sides.
It helps to have deep pockets. But look what’s gotten the Dodgers. A half a World Series ring which should have an asterisk.
The Dodgers have been a machine year in and year out, Multiple NL West titles, multiple NL pennants, many trips to the World Series, including a championship. The idea that they only have one title with all their other success is one pitched by fans of losing teams who can’t compete. You’ll all be happy if your team could mimic the Dodgers, and that’s what Cohen is trying to do with the Mets.
You’re right, not every team can afford to spend $300M a year and still not win it all. No doubt they’re a good team but they needed a half year to win it all with no fans in the stands.
Yet, all these teams keep hiring away Dodgers executives to transform their run-down teams. They must be doing something right.
Name the last executive that was hired away from the dodgers. I couldn’t remember.
Well Zaidi became the Giants GM last year got them 107 wins.
“New York is offering Scherzer $42MM over either three or four years.”
So… is it $42 million over the span of three or four years, or $42 million PER year for 3-4? Because there is a MASSIVE difference there.**
** And yes, I know the writer meant $42 million per year, I’m just pointing out that leaving out one word (from a tweet no less), changes things majorly.
No one would think it would be 42 total so it’s really unnecessary
No one would be stupid enough to think it’s $42m total over 3 or 4 years.
You’re about the only person questioning wording in tweets. It was understood.
Not as interesting as you must have thought, when you posted that pointless comment.
Classic Mets move
This is the bad place.
Could this just be a leak to put pressure on where he really wants to go?
Christ man. That answer is no.
If Cohen flipped on Matz playing games, just imagine Cohen’s tirade if he goes to Southern California now. I think Scherzer will be a Met and that they must have offered a fourth year.
I was thinking 3/105. Cohen just went balls deep.
Citi Field is a pitchers dream.. he will win another cy young in NY. People who think this is bad? Did you see his stats this year?? He’s better than Cole and DeGROM. I cant stand the dude.. but he’s Randy Johnson.. Curt Schilling.. Nolan Ryan he’s that guy. Thank God the Yankees don’t need to really face him.
deGrom is better than Scherzer if he is ever healthy again. But he might not be. Huge gamble by Mets it could work or if could fail horribly. No matter what it will help entertain fans.
You mention last year. He couldn’t pitch towards the end of the playoffs because of dead arm. He will be 38 in July. There are red flags. He will be the highest paid pitcher in baseball history…he will be 38-41 through the Mets contract. This is great, but scary. Absolutely scary. Not a smart deal, but a all-in deal. It’ll be fun to see how it goes. Disaster can be looming, but big boys and girls play for keeps.
Over pay for a guy that will start the last chapters of his HOF career. SMH 42 mil a year for a guy to start 25-30 games IF he stays healthy. 42 million for his 40 year old arm season…….
Eppler and Cohen must have been out last night getting sauced.
I know cashman always operates ninja style (and man I mean ninja) but come on cash players won’t be on the market forever so let’s do this 🙁
He’s the rare FA who holds up his end of the bargain.
He did indeed with his previous contract. It’s going to be very interesting to see how he does with this one but he is built like those old school guys so met fans should be optimistic. For now you would have to assume the dead arm this past post season for him was a fluke
I fully expect the Mets to sign Scherzer, but let’s be honest, we’d love to see the meltdown in Greenwich if we awake in the morning to find Scherzer signed with the Dodgers.
I keep refreshing this page and nothing has changed. I’ve been wondering if the Dodgers will do the ultimate sniping job and attack with a counter offer lol
When you leave the Dodgers in the dust on money…….
Again, if this goes through expect a long lockout over the new CBA. This will be the preverbal straw that broke the camels back. Historic.
Hadn’t thought about that, @lord, It would be seismic. The angry Cohen explosion might even spill over into the stock market!
I still say insiders and the media are just trolling Cohen again
I’m confused why people act like the Mets are so bad. They’ve made the playoffs plenty of times in my lifetime. Made 2 World Series in the last 20 years. That’s not a bad ratio to get there every decade. We finally got rid of the Wilpons. I’m not feeling any of this negativity.
I think recently they’ve been a circus on the PR side of things, but I don’t think they’re bad. Just mediocre, and consistently over hyped by their fans and the media. That being said, moves like this can put them over the top. I still like the Braves for the division, but the Mets have a ton if talent. Marlins made some nice additions too. Phillies it’s your move.
Lyman,
And who is their new manager?
Sigh.
4 years? At 42M AAV? Yikes… I mean, I know it’s Scherzer, but sheesh.
Well, good on the Mets, I never thought they’d go that far, and I didn’t believe he’d go east. He did stay NL though….. ‘cause he’s scared of the AL!
Cashman must still be “monitoring” the market. Hal was constipated until he saw some of these contracts, then coincidentally, he had no problem %#^%ing himself.
Looking ahead, the Mets will free up some money when Bobby Bonilla’s contract comes off the books….in 2035.
If the Coupons still owned the Mets, we would care.
I think we have a rich owner now.
$42 million over 3 or 4 years. Idiotic.
Well maybe he wants Octobers off each season.
Surprised the Yanks didn’t do 2/$90
Thought he’d be going for more rings this late in the career but it’s hard to turn down $40 million a year
This has a lot more to do with legitimacy than with winning games.
The cost to Cohen of leaving the lolmets tag on after his first, abysmal year, has to be enormous. This is a great time to make a fresh start, and if he overpays Scherzer by $30-50m, he’ll make a lot of it back in ticket sales, jersey sales, etc etc.
Well, if you believe that, mission accomplished. At worst, they have gone from Wilpons to Arte Moreno. At best, Wilpons to Steinbrenner with more bucks to spend.
They went from Coupons to Cohen period. That is all anyone should be talking about. Cohen will build his dynasty, just like LAD, LAA, Texas, Padres , Rays and some others.
YES BABY. Please lordy lord let the Mets give him 4/160. I’ll send Uncle Cohen fruit baskets every opening day for the next four years on behalf on the rest of the national league east hahahaha. Insane if they think that dude is gonna still be that dominant that late in his career for another 4 years.
It’s 3 years, reportedly, and he’s 37. Nolan Ryan, a power pitcher like Scherzer, had a 2.91 ERA in 27 starts when he was 44 years old.
He is younger than Charlie Morton and Morton was great this past season. If Max has two seasons in the top 5 Cy Young vote-getters and then two seasons where he is 7-9 and injured for 40 games, Cohen would take that.
Steve Cohen is mooning Hal Steinbrenner.
Do the Mets even have a manager signed?? It’d be hard for me as a player to sign somewhere not knowing who that coach was going to be. Especially with Mets track record and reputation of an underwhelming FO.
No, but I think managers are sometimes overrated. Seriously whar does Scherzer need a manager for? He just deals until he’s taken out.
I guess Scherzer doesn’t care about winning.
Wtf does that mean ?
It means he’s salty
I actually like all the hate, makes the moment that much sweeter.
Are all these haters accountants for the Mets?
Who cares what Cohen pays. You damned if you do and damned if you don’t!
Don’t worry be happy! Do do doo dooo dooo do doo.
Here’s a lil song i wrote, you might want to take it note for note, but don’t worry…. Be Happy!
There’s definitely some hate, but there are plenty of posters who just evaluate moves as they see them. It’s part of the fun of this site. I think it’s a terribly foolish deal, but if Scherzer stays healthy and dominant than it could all work out. It’ll be exciting to see.
If DeGrom is healthy, it could be the most lethal 1-2 punch since Schilling and Johnson.
And they won a championship. That being said others didn’t. Halladay/Lee for example.
I’m a CWS fan and to all the haters, let’s just admit we’re jealous and move on. The Mets have defined their window of opportunity is the next 3 years and signed players to meet that goal. The bottom line is they are going for it.
Like a lot of y’all have been saying i think Max is using the Mets here. This has Trevor Bauer written all over it again. If your Max think about it. This is it. Wherever you go you will be retiring there. I’m pretty sure if the Dodgers came back and offered him a two-year deal with an option for a third. He would go back to the Dodger’s in a heartbeat. If the Mets get him which i don’t think they will. This is like when the Yankees traded for Randy Johnson back in 2005. An older pitcher who couldn’t handle NY. Who was at his final stage. If i’m the Mets im talking to the Red’s about trying to get Luis Casillto baby Pedro Martinez and i’m going young. You don’t know how much longer De Grom has and if and when your strike out on Max
Also, i if you’re in Max’s shoes you already made a ton of money. Don’t you want to go out a winner. I mean yes, the Mets made moves but they aren’t better than the Braves nor the Dodger’s. I also think The Cards are a dark horse team in this.
Max can easily handle NY. I can’t vouch for his durability at his age, but I can guarantee NY pressures (which are overblown by NYers) will not phase him one bit.
Cardinals will not approach that AAV.
Met’s fans todays’ the day where you will get your hearts broken again. Just like when y’all strike out on Billy Beane, Theo Epstein, David Stearns.
No doubt Max makes every team better, both on the field and in the clubhouse. I read where he’s a great teammate. All that being said that’s a lot of money for a guy in his last years of his career. On average, even though Max is above average, most pitchers falter after so many birthdays. The smart money, for now and the future would be signing Robbie Ray and maybe even Marcus Stroman for almost the same total dollars. Nobody works harder or studies talent like Andrew Friedman. He has preached to build for now and in the future. To stay competitive with wise baseball moves. I don’t blame AF for the Trevor Bauer issue. I’m not sure what Trevor did, outside of him and the accuser, no one really knows. That being said TB was having a pretty good year. The Dodgers wouldn’t have gave up some future talent for Max and Trea if Bauer wasn’t suspended. Then would Max be getting this much ??? Good for him anyways… go Dodgers !!!
9 hours have passed and nothing has changed so either
.a ton of back and fourth negotiations with the contract are happening and both sides can’t agree on the terms yet (like opt out clause and whatnot)
.another team is attempting to snipe max away at the last minute. Dodgers or mystery team ?
.mets are just being used
Besides getting the big fish at $40-$42 mil per year, what’s next , they should get another SP, now I guess they’ll go dumpster diving like (Boyd). With 40-42 mil they could’ve had (Gausman $22, and Gray $14 AND another player ).
Skipping out on gausman is not a bad thing. I will eat my hat if I’m wrong
If they could have had him he would be here. He or they probably didn’t or don’t want to play in NY.
You can’t buy a championship in baseball. There’s more to it than just a high payroll. Ask the Dodgers and Yankees. They are both traditionally high spending teams and most recent years in the top 5. The Dodgers have won once since 1988 and the Yankees once in 2009 since their 3-peat in 98, 99, 2000. In contrast, the As are in the playoffs almost every year with one of the lowest payrolls.
So the Mets will out-spend everyone this year with this signing, but it doesn’t seem they have the other intangibles that are necessary to win. I don’t follow the Mets so I could be wrong.
You absolutely can buy a championship. Without the elite organizational structures in place you just have to spend $400MM this year to do it (Mets). Buy Scherzer-Ray-Stroman-Seager-Correa, then trade McNeil, Baty, Mauricio and Peterson to the Reds for Luis Castillo. Then spend another 15 million on a bullpen arm and bench upgrade. That should about do it.
Mets out here trying to set the record for most expensive team to have a losing season.
40 AAV in New York isn’t as good as 40 AAV elsewhere. Taxes will eat that up big time!
Like California ain’t any better in that regard meat.
I never get why people always bring up the tax argument. It has never nor will it ever effect free agency
‘Mets dumpster diving for players, so Mets, haha’
‘Mets trying to buy the pennant, so Mets, haha’
We get it, ‘oRaNgE tEaM bAd !’
It seems there is more to the story about why he could not pitch for the LAD during the final game. The back injury….was that just an excuse not to have to pitch in a big game. Does he have cold feet when it counts ? Hummmmm
Really? This dude is one of baseballs best gamers. Sometimes pitchers get hurt.
Whats going on?
Money doesn’t buy championships. We know that.
This is more than that. Nothing is guaranteed, but The NY Mets are just simply doing what the others top teams are doing. Te make it to the playoffs every year.
Cohen said this team will be relevant again and that is what he is doing. Get a grip and stop hating. If it was your team involved in this deal, you would be praising your GM.
I thought Scherzer was wanting to stay west coast? I guess that money is hard to pass.
Unless Scherzer is using to leverage other negotiations???
Either way Mets are honestly overpaying.
He’s a superb pitcher but is getting older. How many good years you think he has left?
Smells similar to when Yankees went for Randy Johnson…
Don’t remind me of that mega disappointment but his age was always a concern so we shouldn’t be completely surprised as to how that deal turned out
42 AAV(a record) for a 41 or 42 yr old pitcher in the 4th yr of a deal would be insane. He may still be awesome then or not. Even at awesome he will be barely worth the 42 mil, very little excess value even if hes lights out. You can get 2 very good pitchers for 42 mil. Degrom and scherzer cant win a world series by themselves.
Exactly go for 2 pitchers instead of just one
They could resign stroman and rodon for similar cost right?
You could get stroman and rodon and part of something else. Most teams that win world series have a couple guys who have excess value and a bunch playing for what they make. At 43.3 mil he would have no excess value unless he gas one of the greatest pitching seasons ever. The Mets are setting themselves up for failure. Guy would have to be like a 5.5 WaR pitcher every year just to be worth it. Doesn’t seem likely
I guess the waiting over the last 11 hours was just to get some rest. There doesn’t seem to be another suitor so they probably get this done within the next few hours. Wonder what the AAV will be ?
It’ll be a 4/A lot deal.
Take less money & play for a far well-run franchise, Max.
Amazing that Scherzer’s aav will almost be equal to 2 total years of Verlander.
Really it’s not surprising
Come on, Dodgers. Make this interesting. I want a nuclear meltdown from Cohen. I don’t care if it’s the Mets, Dodgers or a surprise team. I want theatrics!
The Mets are unwise to pay an old pitcher that much and Max is unwise to think he will enjoy NY and the pressure that comes with losing there.
Wow max is going to get over 43 mill AAV. That’s crazy !!
Off-season championships. Every fans dream.
I would be very concerned if I were a Mets fan. These types of ill-advised spending sprees seldom if ever result in championships.
Get this deal done Mets! Don’t play games with Mad Max. This is definitely the type of pitcher you want. Don’t worry about the $ or years. If you win a World Championship in the next 4 years this will definitely be $ worth spent. I obviously am a Yankees fan that wanted Scherzer.
Lindor + Sherzer = $77mil/yr. ……..good luck with that
This is going to be a terrible deal…
I would think that Scherzer has made enough money to play for who he wants-maybw he thinks he’ll be a savior for the Mets?
They should save all that money for when Soto becomes a FA instead of spending it on Scherzer
Y’all that’s so much money for an almost 38-yr old pitcher. Absolutely no way this doesn’t blow up in the Mets faces.
My first reaction is: “wow, Mets are going for it! They are gonna be the team to beat in the east…”
All the experts will say the same thing…
Then I’ll remember that I said this and the experts have been saying the same thing for years now … and look what has happened. Mets have an epic fall. Until the Mets stop being the Mets, I need to assume they could put together the worlds best team on paper, and still find a way to burn that empire to the ground lol
Here is the scary part. AAV’s are approaching 50 million
“METS REALLY GOING FOR IT!” But when the Dodgers spend like this, you cry about “buying championships” and a salary cap. Damn, fools!
Agreed It’s extremely hypocritical and as a Yankee fan I’ve heard that complaint from other fans so many times lol
Matz signs with the Cardinals and Cohen goes all strip club dollar bills flinging on free agency…good for him and the organization.
Big money for a great pitcher.
Not sure it will pay out, but at least they are trying to win.
Here in Cincinnati, we have an owner who promised championships only to deliver mediocrity, at best. A rebuild reached .500, now time to start again.
Maybe we trade Castillo with the GM/ownership attached as a way to move a bad contract.
I don’t expect Scherzer to age like a normal human being. If he was, he’d already have. 37 should already be way past his prime. Legends like him can keep this up until they’re 40 and a little beyond. Even when/if his fastball slows down he still has great control and a nasty slider and change. Also a very high pitching IQ.
I think you may be right, but I also think it’s possible that there’s no real decline, and he just falls off a cliff one day (more so in terms of health than performance).
The deciding factor as to whether or not he is worth the the money is simple. Does he lead them to a World Series championship? If yes, money well well spent, the extra revenue and all that goes with the trophy can’t be questioned. If not, it’s just more fodder for the “typical Mets” narrative.
@caprabuzz You can never guarantee a championship. What the Mets need is a lengthy playoff run. Does Scherzer even get them the division? Maybe. But the Braves are really good. Phillies aren’t too far away. Marlins making moves. It’s tough. Nice to see the Mets go for it though.
Stevie Cohen’s beautiful money.
high risk signing old players but at least the Mets are giving it a go
That is completely insane for a 38yr old pitcher (2022). Mets still won’t win anything.
Max is a hall of famer but 43 mil a year for a 37 year old pitcher coming off a season where his arm was dead at the end is going to bite the Mets IMO. Could be wrong but I think they are crazy to make this deal.
Why wouldn’t he just sign this deal ? 3 years 143 mil? There shouldnt be any more discussion. I think dude is just trying to use as leverage for a contract with a different team.
He is just using the Mets as leverage to drive up the price.
The specifics of the years/money/AAV being out here seems tactical by the Mets.
Feels like they’re boxing him in because if LAD won’t go three years or beat that AAV then he’s going to look weird turning down MYM.
3/$129M? Why isn’t this a done deal yet?!
Scott Boras
Reminds me of Bryce Harper/ Scott Boras using the Giants to increase the $/years from the Phillies.
This is taking so long to finish. It’s like sherzers camp is dragging it as long as they can to get the Dodgers to bend over
Desperate measures for a desperate franchise
Cohen’s tweets when he signs with LAD for 3 yr/$130m are going to be epic.
Why does it feel like Scherzer is using the NYMs to run up a better salary offer from LAD? My guess is $126M/3 from LAD gets it done. Unless the NYMs blow him away, and they could, he won’t leave the West Coast, and a good chance for another ring, for the East Coast, and a good chance for a playoff spot.
Degrom, Nimmo, McNeil, Smith, Peterson, Familia, Magill, Alonso, Ali Sanchez…what’s your point? And they only recently lost Wheeler, Matz, Rosario, Giminez, etc. They also have some good propects coming up and mentioned building up their farm system. You can do both you know.