New York Mets

The New York Mets are reportedly moving closer to naming a manager.

According to Joel Sherman and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, Buck Showalter and Joe Espada are each considered finalists for the vacant position. Jon Heyman of MLB Network noted Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro is a third finalist.

Sherman and Davidoff's report also noted the Mets plan on involving owner Steven Cohen in the process as they look to potentially hire a manager at some point this week.

Perhaps it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Showalter and Espada are connected to the New York managerial position considering their previous ties to general manager Billy Eppler.

Eppler was the assistant general manager with the New York Yankees in 2014 and 2015 when Espada was in the front office and then the third base coach. What's more, Eppler was the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels and recommended the American League West team hire Showalter as manager after an interview following the 2019 campaign.

However, ownership overruled him in lieu of Joe Maddon, per Sherman and Davidoff.

Espada has seemingly been on the brink of landing a managerial job after serving as the third base coach for the Miami Marlins and Yankees prior to becoming the bench coach for the Houston Astros.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com noted he interviewed for the Angels job, Texas Rangers job, San Francisco Giants job and Chicago Cubs job that all went elsewhere. He has plenty of experience and helped the Astros reach the World Series twice and is apparently in the running for another position in New York.

Showalter is a veteran manager who held the position with the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Rangers and Baltimore Orioles at different times throughout his career.

He is 1,551-1,517 in his career with three Manager of the Year awards on his resume.

As for Quatraro, he was a manager for years in the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league system before becoming the assistant hitting coach for Cleveland. He also returned to the Rays as the third base coach and bench coach in recent years.

Whoever becomes the next manager of the Mets will look to turn around a franchise that has missed the playoffs in each of the last five years.               

The New York Mets' search for a new manager is ongoing, but team officials reportedly came away happy from an interview Wednesday.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Buck Showalter spoke with the Mets and had a great interview. A source told Puma, "They were pretty impressed with Buck today. It went really well."

Puma also reported that New York has six candidates for its managerial opening including Showalter, Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren, Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro and former Detroit Tigers/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Brad Ausmus. Geren also interviewed with the Mets on Wednesday.

According to Puma, Pirates bench coach Don Kelly has removed his name from consideration, but the Mets have one last first-round interview with a yet-to-be-identified candidate scheduled for Thursday. The team reportedly hopes to have a new manager hired by the end of next week.

ESPN's Buster Olney said Wednesday that Showalter is "viewed as the heavy favorite" to land the Mets opening.

Showalter last managed in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles from 2010 to 2018. The 65-year-old also managed the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers in a career spanning nearly 20 years. He was named American League Manager of the Year three times. Showalter interviewed for managerial openings with the Angels and Philadelphia Phillies in recent offseasons.

The Mets finished last season with a 77-85 record and declined the option on former manager Luis Rojas' contract when the year ended after his second consecutive losing season.

Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Don Kelly has reportedly withdrawn from consideration for the New York Mets manager opening, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Andy Martino of SNY reported Kelly was a candidate for the role earlier this month, with Joe Espada, Buck Showalter, Matt Quatraro and Brad Ausmus considered possibilities. 

Kelly spent the past two years with the Pirates after serving as first base coach with the Houston Astros in 2019.

The 41-year-old also spent nine seasons in the majors as a utility player, appearing on the field at all nine defensive positions.

Even with Kelly dropping out of the race, the Mets still have a variety of candidates who have already interviewed, per Mike Puma of the New York Post:

Astros bench coach Joe Espada interviewed for the Mets manager opening earlier this week, according to a source. Buck Showalter and Bob Geren went today. Brad Ausmus and Matt Quatraro are believed to have interviewed. First round will possibly wrap up Thursday with Don Kelly.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 9, 2021

Mets new general manager Billy Eppler previously hired Ausmus as manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, while Bob Geren has experience with team president Sandy Alderson as both a manager with the Oakland Athletics and bench coach with the Mets from 2010-15.

Showalter has 20 years of managing experience in the majors for four different organizations, most recently leading the Baltimore Orioles to the playoffs three times during his nine seasons with the team from 2010-18.

The other candidates would be in their first stint as a manager, although both Espada and Quatraro have plenty of experience at this level.

Espada has been the Houston Astros bench coach since 2017 while Quatraro has served the same role with the Tampa Bay Rays for the past three seasons.

The Mets are looking for someone to replace Luis Rojas, who managed just a 103-119 record across two seasons with the team. New York has gone five straight years without a playoff berth.   

Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren will reportedly interview for the New York Mets managerial vacancy, according to Andy Martino of SNY and Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Martino added that Brad Ausmus, Joe Espada, Buck Showalter, Matt Quatraro and Don Kelly are other candidates for the job. 

Geren, 60, served as the Oakland Athletics manager from 2007 to 2011, posting a 334-376 record. The team never made the postseason on his watch. He also served as a bench coach with Oakland (2003-06) and held that position with the Mets (2012-15) and the Dodgers (2016-present). 

He'll be plenty familiar with Mets president Sandy Alderson, who hired him to be the team's bench coach in 2012 under manager Terry Collins when Alderson was the team's general manager. 

Geren also played for the New York Yankees (1988-91) and San Diego Padres (1993) as a catcher, designated hitter, first baseman and third baseman. He hit .233 in his career with 22 homers and 76 RBI across 307 games.

The Mets have new leadership under team owner Steve Cohen and Alderson, with Billy Eppler hired to be the team's general manager after Jared Porter was fired in January 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment and interim general manager Zack Scott was fired in November after he was arrested for DWI.

Alongside hitting free agency hard—Eppler already signed starting pitcher Max Scherzer, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Eduardo Escobar before MLB owners locked out the players following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement earlier this month—finding a new manager is a top priority for these Mets. 

Geren would bring plenty of experience to the post and a familiarity with the Mets, though his track record as the head honcho isn't great. He wouldn't be the sort of high-profile hire that the Big Apple papers love, but he's reportedly very much in the running for the gig.

The New York Mets reportedly have "preliminary interest" in veteran manager Buck Showalter, Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Don Kelly and former Detroit Tigers and former Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus for their vacant managerial position, per SNY's Andy Martino.

Martino added that the Mets have "discussed other names internally," so other candidates could emerge. In addition, Robert Murray of FanSided reported that former Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson is on the team's list of managerial candidates. 

However, Martino noted that Granderson was only mentioned as a candidate "because he is so highly respected." The 40-year-old is not expected to interview for the job because the Mets "feel they need someone in that job with more experience," Martino adds. 

Showalter, 65, has not managed in MLB since 2018 when he was manager of the Baltimore Orioles. He managed the O's for nine years, compiling a 669-684 record, and led the franchise to a 6-8 record in the postseason. 

Showalter has also managed the Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees. The three-time manager of the year is 1,551-1,517 in his 20 seasons as a manager and 9-14 in the postseason. 

Espada, meanwhile, has spent the last four seasons as a bench coach for the Astros. He has no MLB managerial experience, though he has managed several times in Winter Ball action. In addition, he served as third base coach for Puerto Rico in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics. The 2017 team featured three Mets players: Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz, and Seth Lugo.

According to Martino, it's impossible to name a front-runner at the moment. However, he wrote, "It does feel like there’s early buzz surrounding Espada."

Qautraro and Kelly also have no MLB managerial experience. However, in addition to serving as the Rays' bench coach in 2018, Quatraro served as manager for several teams in Tampa Bay's minor league system. Kelly served as first base coach for the Astros in 2019 and has served as the Pirates bench coach since 2020. 

Ausmus, meanwhile, served as manager of the Detroit Tigers from 2014-17. He went 314-332 in that span and 0-3 in the postseason. The 52-year-old also served as manager of the Angels in 2019, going 72-90, before being fired.  

Granderson, who is president of the Players Alliance, does not have any managerial experience and only recently hung up the cleats, having played his last game in 2019 as a member of the Miami Marlins. 

The three-time All-Star spent three and a half seasons with the Mets from 2014-17 and also played for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Max Scherzer believes the New York Mets will soon compete for a World Series.

The pitcher, who signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the team in free agency, discussed the impact of owner Steve Cohen at his introductory press conference Wednesday. 

"He looks at this like he wants to win a championship, and he's going to do whatever it takes to win," Scherzer said of Cohen. "You don't hear that from owners too often these days."

There has been some criticism about the negativity in New York's clubhouse after the Mets finished 77-85 last season, but Scherzer isn't worried about it.

"I’d say in my career, clubhouses can change. And it only takes a few guys to change it," the 14-year MLB veteran said. "... For me, I feel like the guys we’re bringing in can do that, can obviously change that."

"The culture can change," Scherzer added. "That's a challenge but a challenge we are willing to meet."

The 37-year-old brings a resume that includes eight All-Star selections, three Cy Young awards and a World Series title with the Washington Nationals. He finished last season with a 15-4 record and 2.46 ERA in 30 starts between the Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Max is one of the greatest pitchers of this and any generation," Cohen said Wednesday.

Scherzer also creates one of the best one-two punches in the majors alongside Jacob deGrom.

"A dream of pitching with him. We can do some great things together," Scherzer said. "It's a real exciting opportunity for myself."

Of course, the huge salary will lead to high expectations, especially playing in New York. Shortstop Francisco Lindor learned last season that fans aren't always patient when it comes to new stars.

The good news is Scherzer isn't worried about the pressure to succeed.

"The pressure of this is a privilege, not a problem," he told reporters. "I really enjoy being somewhere where you’re expected to win."   

The New York Mets will reportedly stay aggressive on the free-agent market even after adding Max Scherzer.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Mets are still targeting "another starting pitcher and one more bat."

The Mets reportedly agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal with Scherzer—an MLB-record in average annual salary—and already added three hitters in Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar. 

New York could still use more help after finishing 77-85 last season.

The Mets have also already lost Noah Syndergaard and Javier Baez to free agency while Marcus Stroman and Michael Conforto remain unsigned. 

Though the offense still has impact players including Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil, the team ranked 27th in the majors in runs scored last season. A proven hitter like Kris Bryant or Kyle Schwarber could help improve the lineup going into 2022.

The rotation remains a bigger question mark, even with the projected top two of Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.

Taijuan Walker earned an All-Star selection in 2021 but went 0-8 with a 7.13 ERA in the second half of the season. Carlos Carrasco is the presumed No. 4 starter even after producing a 6.04 ERA across 12 starts in an injury-filled year. Tylor Megill and David Peterson are other options in the rotation, but both have been up and down in their short careers.

The Mets could use another frontline pitcher, potentially Carlos Rodon, to help fill out the rotation.   

Max Scherzer is on pace to count for more money in 2022 than the entire payrolls of some MLB teams.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the three-time Cy Young winner struck a three-year, $130 million deal with the New York Mets. As Jeff Passan of ESPN noted, his $43.3 million average salary is not only an MLB record, but also eclipses the current outlay for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles:

Estimated current opening day payrolls, per @baseballpro:

Seattle Mariners: $57 million
Cleveland Guardians: $46.7 million
Max Scherzer: $43.3 million
Pittsburgh Pirates: $40.2 million
Baltimore Orioles: $37 million

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2021

In the Seattle Mariners' defense, they're fresh off striking a five-year, $115 million agreement with Robbie Ray, per Passan, so their 2022 payroll is climbing in a big way.

According to Spotrac, no team spent less than $50.2 million in 2021, so it stands to reason the Pirates and Orioles will outpace Scherzer at some point. Nevertheless, Passan's tweet underscores a major problem with MLB at the moment.

Rebuilds are nothing new, and they're often a necessary step for franchises that aren't in major markets. There's only so much money to spend when you're operating out of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee or Minneapolis.

But the extent to which some owners are cutting costs may not be sustainable.

Every single player on the aforementioned Orioles is either locked into a rookie deal or headed for arbitration. Fans in Baltimore also have to watch speculation grow about the futures of Cedric Mullins and John Means, too.

What I’m hearing on Orioles and John Means: Same as last winter. Teams are calling. Orioles will engage in discussions. No plans to deal him or Mullins. But you can never say never depending on the offer. But they aren’t actively shopping Means (or Mullins), either.

— Dan Connolly (@danconnolly2016) November 23, 2021

Word has gotten out that the Orioles would listen on star CF Cedric Mullins, and teams are lining up to give it a shot knowing it’s a long shot. Asking price is understandably extremely high. All these teams (and more) could use a CF: Philly, Rangers, Astros, Giants, Mets, Yanks.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 26, 2021

The issue isn't limited to those at the bottom of the financial spectrum.

The Chicago Cubs jettisoned franchise stalwarts Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant midway through the 2021 season as the trio approached free agency. Chicago has done nothing substantial this winter.

Big part of what's frustrating to Cubs fans is that, tho payrolls were really high as recently as 2019, *new expenditures* of have been almost entirely absent for a very long time.

Only multi-year positional free agent deal in the last SIX years? 2 yrs & 5M for Daniel Descalso.

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) November 29, 2021

So, I do understand when Cubs say, hey, we were still carrying a luxury tax level payroll through 2019 (and then the pandemic happened & mucked things up for 2020 and 2021). I'm rational. I get it.

But also, as a fan, it still *FEELS* like they have done so little for so long.

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) November 29, 2021

The Boston Red Sox traded Mookie Betts rather than inking him to a long-term extension after ownership signaled a desire to trim payroll. The same story could play out with Rafael Devers, whom MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported has made "zero progress" in negotiations with Boston.

Forbes estimated the valuation of almost every single MLB franchise grew in 2021 and only one (the Miami Marlins) is worth less than $1 billion. A generally positive financial outlook for the league doesn't seem to be reflected in player salaries outside the game's elite.

Not even two weeks after hiring Billy Eppler to run their front office, the New York Mets have quickly positioned themselves as World Series contenders after a $255 million free-agent spending binge that culminated with The Big One on Monday.

As Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported, the Mets are bringing aboard three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on a three-year, $130 million contract. The deal is worth $43.3 million per year, which tops Gerrit Cole's previous record for average annual value and is even more than some teams have committed to 2022:

Estimated current opening day payrolls, per @baseballpro:

Seattle Mariners: $57 million
Cleveland Guardians: $46.7 million
Max Scherzer: $43.3 million
Pittsburgh Pirates: $40.2 million
Baltimore Orioles: $37 million

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2021

It's still early in Major League Baseball's 2021-22 offseason, and there's obviously the question of what will happen when the league's collective bargaining agreement expires Wednesday.

For now, though, the Mets' recent deals with Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha and especially Scherzer have had the desired effect of washing away the sour taste left from their 85-loss 2021 campaign. Their odds of winning the 2022 World Series have effectively doubled, and they've likewise leaped to third on FanGraphs' WAR projections for next year.

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This Is a Risky Signing for the Mets

Even setting aside the monetary aspect, there would be an inherent element of risk in the Scherzer deal if for no other reason than his recent postseason journey with the Los Angeles Dodgers was cut short by a dead arm.

But there's also his age and his workload.

Even including last year's pandemic-shortened season, the 37-year-old Scherzer averaged 185 innings per year during his 30s. Though other pitchers have handled similar workloads between the ages of 30 and 36 in the last decade, the cautionary tale there is that none of them subsequently put forth an ace-like season at the age of 37.

The best hope to do so would have been Justin Verlander in 2020, when he was fresh of winning his second Cy Young Award in 2019. Instead, he made only one start before suffering an injury that eventually necessitated Tommy John surgery.

These aren't good omens, and it isn't as if Scherzer is joining a starting rotation that's otherwise devoid of medical red flags.

The Mets' other two aces, two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the somehow undecorated Carlos Carrasco, made 27 total starts in 2021 because of elbow and hamstring injuries, respectively. That's three fewer starts than Scherzer made on his own for the Dodgers and Washington Nationals.

Let there be no mistake about it: This trio is liable to crash and burn in 2022.

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However, The Upside Is Huge

Though the scary possibilities of Scherzer's deal can't be ignored, there are good reasons that the Mets were willing to break records to sign him.

In addition to winning the Cy Young Award in 2013, 2016 and 2017, Scherzer was also a top-three finisher in the voting in three of the last four seasons. That includes 2021, during which he ripped off a 2.46 ERA and 200 more strikeouts than walks over 179.1 innings.

And yet, Scherzer figures to be only the Mets' No. 2 starter when they open their 2022 season. If healthy, the Opening Day nod will almost certainly be deGrom, and deservedly so.

Though the 33-year-old could make only 15 starts in 2021, he struck out 146 batters and finished with a 1.08 ERA. It isn't an official record, yet that is the lowest ERA ever for a pitcher with 15 starts in a season during the Live-Ball Era.

Neither Scherzer nor any other starter can match deGrom in average fastball velocity, yet he is one of the only pitchers in baseball whose general electricity rivals deGrom's. They ranked first and fifth, respectively, in contact rate within the strike zone in 2021.

The 34-year-old Carrasco did little to impress while pitching to a 6.04 ERA in the 12 starts he made after coming off the injured list. But he pitched like an ace in 2020 to the tune of a 2.91 ERA for the Cleveland Guardians. Before that, he enjoyed a four-year run between 2015 and 2018 as one of the American League's top hurlers.

No matter the size of the "if," the "if healthy" possibility of a deGrom-Scherzer-Carrasco trio can't be underplayed. They could be the best threesome that baseball has seen since the Philadelphia Phillies were trotting out Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in 2011.

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The Mets Have the Right Idea About Their Window

The Mets' top three pitchers are hardly the only 30-somethings on their roster. That label also applies to Marte, Escobar and Canha, as well as incumbent lineup mainstays James McCann and Robinson Cano and relievers Trevor May and Seth Lugo.

Knowing this, Eppler arguably would have been better served investing owner Steve Cohen's billions in younger free agents. You know, the Carlos Correas and Corey Seagers of the market. That way, they might have arranged a mix of young and veteran stars worthy of a truly modern contender.

However, signing younger stars would have required longer, more lucrative contracts. Correa, for example, could command a 10-year deal worth $100 million more than the Mets have paid out to four guys in recent days. A team should only do a deal like that if it's playing a long game, which the Mets shouldn't be playing right now.

Beneath the team's generally aging roster is a farm system that's something less than a gold mine of prospects. Though the Mets' system boasts three top-100 talents, MLB.com still ranked it only 22nd back in August. When faced with things like these, the idea of "sustainability" is more an abstraction than a readily attainable thing.

Meanwhile, the Mets have clear paths to the top of the NL East and the entire National League. Atlanta is currently without its MVPs from the National League Championship and World Series, not to mention its best player since Chipper Jones, and the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are presently in pieces.

So, the Mets have rightfully thrown caution to the wind and gone all-in on winning right now. 

A lot will need to go right. For starters, the Mets still have to hire the right person to manage the team. And when the 2022 season begins, their star-studded rotation won't be the only unit under pressure.

The Mets will also need a great deal more offense than they got in 2021. Specifically, from Francisco Lindor, Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil after they mustered a collective 94 wRC+ this season.

But if it all works as intended, the Mets will have a chance to live up to what the super-duper-early prognostications for 2022 make of them. That isn't just a great team, but a legitimate World Series threat.

If not, well, there will be no faulting them for the manner in which they tried.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.

The New York Mets significantly upgraded their rotation with the reported signing of Max Scherzer, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

The deal will reportedly cost the Mets $130 million over three years, which would create a huge jump in payroll. The average annual salary of $43.3 million, a new MLB record, would put New York at an estimated $199.2 million going into 2022, per Spotrac. 

Estimated current opening day payrolls, per @baseballpro:

Seattle Mariners: $57 million
Cleveland Guardians: $46.7 million
Max Scherzer: $43.3 million
Pittsburgh Pirates: $40.2 million
Baltimore Orioles: $37 million

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2021

This would rank second in the majors in total payroll behind only the crosstown rival New York Yankees.  

The Mets were already fifth on this list before signing thanks to large investments in Francisco Lindor, Jacob deGrom and Robinson Cano.

On the plus side, the addition of Scherzer creates one of the most exciting rotations in the majors.

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Mets Starting Rotation

1. Jacob deGrom

2. Max Scherzer

3. Taijuan Walker

4. Carlos Carrasco

5. Tylor Megill

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If healthy, the top of this rotation can match up with any in baseball.

Even at 37 years old, Scherzer was elite last season with a career-low 2.46 ERA split between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was truly dominant after the midseason trade to Los Angeles, going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts on his way to a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting.

This pairs with deGrom, who was on his way to his third Cy Young before an elbow injury ended his season in July. Through 15 starts, the 33-year-old had an incredible 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings. 

If he can come close to replicating this production in 2022, opponents will struggle getting any runs against this top two.

Taijuan Walker represents a solid No. 3 after earning his first All-Star selection last season. Despite some second-half struggles, he still finished with a 4.47 ERA in 30 appearances with 146 strikeouts.

There are bigger question marks at the back of the rotation with the Nos. 4 and 5 spots up for grabs.

Carlos Carrasco went just 1-5 with a 6.04 ERA in his first season with the Mets, ending the year on the injured list with an elbow injury. The 34-year-old produced a 3.77 ERA across 11 seasons with Cleveland, including a 2.91 mark in 2020. The Mets will clearly prefer the earlier version, but it remains to be seen if he can regain his form.

The final spot could come down to a spring training battle between Tylor Megill and David Peterson, two homegrown talents who have shown flashes of solid play. Megill performed better in 2021, but Peterson's production as a rookie in 2020 gives him a chance to succeed if he can stay healthy.

Trevor Williams could also compete for the fifth spot, although depth is clearly an issue for the team if no other additions come before the start of the season.