The Mets are expected to lose several notable players in free agency this offseason
The New York Mets had another frustrating finish in 2020. The only positive was the Wilpon family finally selling the team to billionaire Steve Cohen. However, there are still a few hurdles to clear before the deal is all done.
The team itself finished 26-34 and Jacob deGrom was once again one of the only bright spots. The attention turns to 2021 and the Mets have a chance to move on from several players via free agency. Three players in particular stand out and only one of them actually appeared in a game this past season.
3 players the Mets are expected to lose to free agency
3. Jed Lowrie
The Jed Lowrie experiment was a disaster in New York. The infielder was an All-Star in 2018 with the Oakland A’s and was given a two-year, $20 million deal with the Mets. He proceeded to play in a total of nine games, all in 2019, and make seven at-bats. Not a bad way to earn $20 million.
There was a bit of mystery surrounding Lowrie’s status in 2020. Then the news dropped that his knee was just not at a level where he felt comfortable playing. So did Lowrie lie about his health before signing the deal? Mets fans will surely have an opinion on that.
Losing Lowrie will not change much on the field because he didn’t play. What it will do is get his money off the books and remove a major source of drama from the entire organization. The deal was awful and no matter who is to blame, the nightmare is over.
2. Yoenis Cespedes
On the topic of drama, Yoenis Cespedes provided plenty of that himself in 2020. Let’s take a look back at his entire journey in Queens.
The Mets traded for the outfielder in 2015 and signed him to a lucrative three-year deal in 2016. He then opted out of that, only to sign a four-year, $110 million deal the following season. He appeared in 81 games in 2017, 38 in 2018, then missed the entire 2019 season after injured himself in a wild boar incident on his ranch.
Cespedes was back in 2020 on the final year of his deal and ghosted the Mets after playing in eight games. He officially opted out of the season and his contract will go down with Lowrie’s as one of the worst in recent Mets history. This was a sad finish after Cespedes appeared to be a legitimate star during the 2016 season.
The outfielder may now only have a future as a designated hitter if he even wants to keep playing. He is 35 years old and has made his money. What started out as a promising stint ended in disaster and like with Lowrie, the Mets can move on and apply this money to other players.
1. Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman did not make a single start for the Mets in 2020. He was dealing with a calf injury and decided to opt out, making him a top free agent this offseason.
Stroman was traded to the Mets by Toronto back in 2019 and it appeared the team may be looking to form another super-rotation. The right-hander did go 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts, but he is finally hitting free agency and it is highly unlikely he would sign with a Mets team that has struggled during his tenure.
Teams with big pockets like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and even the Boston Red Sox will be doing their best to lure Stroman with a big contract.
Trading for Stroman was another example of Brodie Van Wagenen doing his best to jolt his team back into being a winner. The plan didn’t work out and like with the others on this list, Stroman was out in 2020 so it’s not like the team’s ace is leaving.
deGrom is in town for the long-term and Noah Syndergaard should return at some point in 2021. Giving a new deal to Rick Porcello can give the Mets some real talent atop the rotation and while Stroman would help, the pitching staff won’t be a disaster without him.