The Mets are at a perfectly average .500 going into their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates today. After missing the playoffs last year and falling short against the San Diego Padres in the NLWC in 2022, what are Mets fans looking toward? There are many different avenues the Mets could go down to look towards a potential playoff run. However, two big, nearly opposite avenues are most prominent: to reallocate the money they are spending toward players with more return, or rebuilding a team around a promising player.
Spending is something that Mets’ owner Steven Cohen doesn’t have an issue with. In a CNBC interview, when asked how much it would cost to get a ring, he replied, “I don’t care about the cost side.” This is represented clearly in the Mets’ salary, where Francisco Lindor is being paid $34.1 million, over 10% of the total payroll, with a season average .250 at bat and .976 fielding, his 2nd-worst and worst career averages respectively. Combined with Pete Alonso batting a mediocre .243 for the season while dragging a sizable $20.5 million with him. This is money that could be better spent in other places, and the Mets have not come to that realization. A big player on the trading block at the moment is Garrett Crochet, with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 0.97, Crochet would be a good addition to the relief pitchers. Edwin Diaz is averaging 4.26 runs allowed this season, with his setup Reed Garrett averaging 3.05 on runs allowed. Garrett Crochet is currently averaging 3.08 ERA with only 0.97 WHIP. Whether Garrett is a potential addition or not, Steven Cohen and the Mets need to recognize that the money spent isn’t as valuable when results are not being produced.
Where results are being produced are in some of the players further down the salary graph. One name stands out, a younger player that is rapidly improving both offensively and defensively: Mark Vientos. Boasting a .288 batting average for the season and a .931 OPS, Vientos is continuing to demonstrate his confidence and dominance at the plate. Building a team around Vientos could be a potential avenue towards a playoff run in the future. By dropping the older, more expensive players and bringing in younger, high skill prospects, the Mets could develop a playoff-worthy team by next season.
With 74 games left in the year, it is time for the Mets to either put a spark in their stars or to make a move for new talent. As the playoffs grow closer, that time frame will shrink faster and faster until Mets display another season just short of another run at the World Series.
