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When Wednesday started, the Mets had two certainties in the 2021 starting rotation and were in serious need of reinforcements that could support the starting five who have doomed their 2020 season. At around 11am, that rotation was very helpful.
Marcus Stroman, to whom the Mets had extended the one-year qualifying offer by $ 18.9 million, accepted the offer, meaning he will return to Queens for the 2021 season.
With Stroman on board, the Mets add a reliable third arm (to go with Jacob deGrom and David Peterson) to a rotation that still needs more additions and get some clarity as the offseason starts to pick up with Steve cohen and Sandy Alderson now in place.
Here are the ripple effects of Stroman’s return …
ROTATION CERTAINTY
As noted above, the Mets now have three starting pitchers they should be able to count on as the 2021 season approaches – deGrom, Stroman and Peterson.
Additionally, as noted above, they will need to add more spinning help due to the lack of reliable internal options. But Stroman’s return is expected to remove a huge weight from the shoulders of the front office as they seek to resolve the situation behind home plate, in midfield and elsewhere.
PAY BRANCHES
When you add Stroman’s $ 18.9 million salary, the Mets’ payroll for 2021 – including projected increases through arbitration – is roughly $ 153 million. That means they have around $ 57 million to spend this offseason before they hit the luxury tax threshold.
Cohen spoke on Tuesday about not wanting to tie the payroll for years to an expensive squad of players, and that goal is not hampered by Stroman’s return, as he will theoretically be off the books after this season.
Even with Stroman’s return, the Mets should be able to easily fit at least one “big splash” into the budget for 2021 and beyond.
SETH LUGO SHOULD NOW BE TICKED FOR THE BULLPEN
Even before Stroman’s return, it would have been wise for the Mets to bring Lugo back to the survey pen. Now that Stroman is in the fold, bringing Lugo back to the pen becomes even more obvious.
While Lugo has a real advantage as a starter, the results have been poor. During this time, he was dominant as a reliever. He can now return there, strengthening that part of the squad and cutting Alderson’s off-season schedule a bit. They will still need outside help, but Lugo’s return is a good start.
DEGROM + STROMAN + BAUER?
SNY’s Andy Martino wrote on Wednesday that with Stroman’s return, the door is open for the Mets to feature deGrom, Stroman and a free agent. Trevor Bauer at the top of their rotation.
Here’s what Alderson said about Bauer on Tuesday:
“I actually think Bauer would be a big personality in New York. The kind of guy fans would approve of. We are in the entertainment business. “
Here’s what Bauer’s agent Rachel Luba said about Alderson:
“Sandy Alderson gets it.”
Stay tuned.
OVERALL IMPACT ON THE MARKET
If Stroman – arguably the second best starting free agent pitcher – is so wary of the market this offseason that he hasn’t tested it, what does that say about how much (in terms of years and dollars) other big tickets players will eventually get?
Cohen spoke on Tuesday about wanting to take advantage of a single market this offseason, and that Stroman agreed to the QO without testing the waters could be a sign of things to come – and could be very good news for the Mets.
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