NL East

The New York Mets have shown interest in free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa, per Ken Rosenthal, Dan Hayes and Andy McCullough of The Athletic.

Correa would play third base for the Mets with All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor already entrenched at the position in New York.

The Mets have already been big spenders in free agency, adding starting pitchers Justin Verlander (two years, $86.7 million) and Koudai Senga (five years, $75 million).

They've also re-signed outfielder Brandon Nimmo (eight years, $162 million) and closer Edwin Diaz (five years, $102 million).

Correa's future contract should easily dwarf all of those numbers. The shortstop market has been lucrative, with stars Trea Turner ($300 million with the Philadelphia Phillies) and Xander Bogaerts ($280 million with the San Diego Padres) signing big deals.

He could land a contract north of $300 million—Jim Bowden of The Athletic notably predicted that Correa would go to the Chicago Cubs for 10 years and $327 million.

The two-time All-Star excelled for the Minnesota Twins last year with a .291 batting average, 22 home runs, 64 RBI and an .834 OPS.

He played seven seasons with the Houston Astros before signing with the Twins last year. Correa inked a three-year, $105.3 million deal but opted out of that contract.

Correa's decision to bet on himself should be quite lucrative. He doesn't have a shortage of suitors, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting on other teams in the mix.

Giants, Twins, Cubs are among teams in on Carlos Correa, who has the advantages of being a little younger than Bogaerts and Turner and also having no qualifying offer

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2022

However, Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown he isn't afraid to go over the top in New York, as the team sported the second-highest payroll in baseball last year. It's not impossible to see Correa with the Mets because of Cohen's willingness to spend even if he'd be playing a new position. Still, New York should have plenty of competition as the market apparently heats up for the star shortstop.

After adding to their starting rotation in free agency, the New York Mets are listening to trade offers on Carlos Carrasco, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

"The ideal return would be a projectable young starter with options and a chance to contribute as soon as this coming season," Sherman added.

The Mets have already spent big on starters this offseason, adding Justin Verlander, José Quintana and Koudai Senga to slot in behind ace Max Scherzer.

If Carrasco is traded, the final spot in the rotation would likely come down to David Peterson and Tylor Megill. Elieser Hernandez could also provide depth after starting 10 games last season with the Miami Marlins.

Carrasco should draw significant interest on the open market after going 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 29 starts last season. The 35-year-old struggled during an injury-marred 2021 season, but he bounced back in a big way in 2022 with 152 strikeouts in 152 innings.

The veteran posted a 3.77 ERA across 11 seasons with Cleveland before coming to New York, finishing fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2017. Carrasco is under contract for one more season at $14 million.

Trading a proven starter could still be a risky move for the Mets after they lost Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker via free agency. Scherzer, 38, was limited to just 23 starts in 2022 due to injuries, while Verlander, 39, made just one start across 2020 and 2021 before returning last season.

With Senga unproven at the major league level after coming from Japan, there are still question marks about the Mets rotation.

Despite signing seemingly every one of their young stars to a long-term extension, the Atlanta Braves' rising payroll could cause them to trade Max Fried.

On MLB Network's Hot Stove (h/t MLB.com), Jim Callis of MLB.com noted there are "rumors" Fried could be moved this offseason, as it's unclear if the club will be able to sign him to an extension.

However, ESPN's Buster Olney reported Atlanta isn't entertaining a potential Fried trade, as the team is in win-now mode.

Those reports come after the Braves acquired All-Star catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

The Braves have the fifth-highest payroll in MLB at $162.2 million. It's unclear if Murphy even wants to sign an extension, but he's under team control through 2025 regardless.

ESPN's David Schoenfield did point out that the Braves immediately signed Matt Olson to an eight-year, $168 million extension after acquiring him from the A's in March.

Olson was entering his second year of arbitration prior to signing the extension. Murphy is entering his first year of arbitration and is projected to earn $3.3 million in 2023, per Spotrac.

Fried has two years of team control remaining and is projected to make $12.1 million next season. His value in a trade will likely never be higher because of his performance and being unable to hit free agency until after 2024.

The Braves have nothing to lose by at least putting out feelers to see what the market looks like for Fried. The very top tier of free-agent starters are off the board, with Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom having signed.

Carlos Rodón has pitched like an ace, with a 2.67 ERA and 422 strikeouts in 310.2 innings over the past two seasons, but he had a 4.28 ERA in five seasons from 2016 to 2020. The 2022 campaign marked the first time in his career he made at least 30 starts in a single year.

Fried is 13 months younger than Rodón with a much stronger track record of durability. The southpaw has made at least 28 starts in each of the last three 162-game seasons dating back to 2019.

He has finished in the top five in National League Cy Young voting twice in the previous three seasons, including a second-place showing in 2022 after posting a 2.48 ERA in 30 starts.

One might say that the New York Mets have left nothing to chance with their offseason dealings, but that would imply that Steve Cohen is finished pulling from his $17.5 billion fortune to finance a payroll that's already in record territory.

What if he's not?

Even as is, the receipt for the Mets' free-agent shopping comes to a capital-G, capital-T Grand Total of $461.7 million. That's for six players with varying degrees of star power, headlined by three-time American League Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a record-tying $43.3 million-per-year deal:

• Re-signed CF Brandon Nimmo for eight years, $162 million
• Re-signed RHP Edwin Díaz for five years, $102 million
• Signed RHP Justin Verlander for two years, $86.7 million
• Signed RHP Koudai Senga for five years, $75 million
• Signed LHP José Quintana for two years, $26 million
• Signed RHP David Robertson for one year, $10 million

According to FanGraphs, it all adds up to a projected Opening Day payroll of $335 million that towers over the Los Angeles Dodgers' record-setting $280.8 million Opening Day payroll from last season. And if anything, it undersells what the Mets are set to spend.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently floated $400 million as a possibility for the Mets' expenses for 2023, and they're already kinda-sorta there. For luxury-tax purposes, they're slated to open next season with a $349.6 million payroll. That's far beyond even the $293 million barrier that they call "the Cohen tax."

The bottom line, as summarized by David Lennon of Newsday:

Steve Cohen has invested roughly $430 million (including luxury tax) in #Mets for '23 season.

NFL salary cap: $208M
NBA salary cap: $123M
NHL salary cap: $82.5M

Cohen is changing the game when it comes to an owners' financial commitment to winning.

— David Lennon (@DPLennon) December 11, 2022

Say what you will about Cohen, so long as you don't say he's unserious about delivering the Mets' first World Series championship since 1986. He's not spending all this money just for kicks.

And yet the Mets still have more to do before they can declare themselves the winners of the 2022-23 offseason, much less the team to beat in 2023.

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The Mets Haven't Yet Crossed Off All Their Needs

That the Mets have already done so much on the offseason market isn't exactly surprising, and for two reasons.

It just wouldn't have made sense for Cohen—whose net worth dwarfs every other MLB owner's—to take his foot off the gas after what befell his team in 2022. His $282 million investment in payroll did yield 101 wins in the regular season—but only one in the playoffs. Suboptimal, as they say.

Otherwise, suffice it to say that you can't not go to work when you stand to lose Nimmo, Díaz, Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker and Adam Ottavino via free agency.

Cut to now, and the Mets have not only avoided disaster but also deflected it. Their rotation, in particular, is arguably upgraded even sans deGrom, Bassitt and Walker.

Here is a look at the Mets potential starting rotation for 2023 👀🍎 pic.twitter.com/hhfdorfDIX

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 11, 2022

In putting up a 1.75 ERA as a 39-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery, Verlander effectively etched another line in his Hall of Fame plaque. Quintana had a 2.93 ERA in his own right, while Senga and his "ghost fork" were responsible for a 1.89 ERA in Japan.

With Díaz—who struck out 118 of the 235 batters he faced in 2022—back in the closer's role and Robertson there to set up, the bullpen also looks solid. The offense, meanwhile, consists of the same Nimmo-, Francisco Lindor- and Pete Alonso-led group that tied for fifth in scoring last season.

Nonetheless, FanGraphs' WAR projections for 2023 still put the Mets (51.3) a hair behind the San Diego Padres (52.2). Break it down position by position relative to the average projection, and the Mets' shortcomings are easy to spot:

The Mets are fine on the pitching front, but those red bars at catcher, third base and designated hitter underscore a general need for at least one more bat. Maybe two, given that Mike Puma of the Post isn't wrong to have doubts about the outfield.

For that matter, SNY's John Harper likewise isn't wrong in thinking that even the bullpen "still needs work." Because why settle for solid when lights-out is better?

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If the Mets Want to Play It Safe

Though the Mets still have the option of plucking, say, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson or Carlos Rodón from the top of the free-agent market, let's assume for now that Cohen has already gone far enough to not go full "drunken sailor."

Fortunately, the next tier of the market still features two capable left fielders who would fit well on the Mets: Andrew Benintendi and Michael Brantley. Both are contact-oriented hitters the likes of which the Mets quite like, while Benintendi has the added benefit of being a Gold Glove Award defender.

What a catch by Andrew Benintendi 👏 pic.twitter.com/JOl0h1fsiY

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 14, 2022

If the Mets are comfortable shifting Jeff McNeil, the reigning National League batting champ, into a super-utility role, they could otherwise tab somebody else to play second base. To this end, Jean Segura and Adam Frazier are two more high-contact hitters with effective gloves.

Eduardo Escobar seems less well-suited for a super-utility role, but former Met Justin Turner would be a sensible target if they would rather have someone else at third base. He doesn't have much in the way of power anymore, but he can still do patience and contact.

Then there are various platoon options, including Brandon Drury, Evan Longoria and J.D. Martinez from the right side and Matt Carpenter and David Peralta from the left. Each was quite good against opposite-side pitching in 2022:

• DH Matt Carpenter: 204 wRC+ vs. RHP
• UTIL Brandon Drury: 160 wRC+ vs. LHP
• 3B Evan Longoria: 124 wRC+ vs. LHP
• DH J.D. Martinez: 175 wRC+ vs. LHP
• LF David Peralta: 116 wRC+ vs. RHP

As for relievers, Ottavino is still out there. But if the Mets would rather save money, Michael Fulmer might do just as well in the right-handed specialist role that Ottavino filled in 2022. Righty batters hit just .188 against the former Mets prospect last season.

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If the Mets Want to Go for Broke

Yet even as unlikely as another seismic move may seem, at this point we should all know better than to put such a move past the Mets.

To wit, there are still persistent whispers that they are in on Correa:

Steve Phillips on MLB Network: #Giants and #Twins the favorites for Carlos Correa but the #Yankees and #Mets could "dabble" as well.

— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) December 12, 2022

This would require convincing Correa to move from shortstop to third base in deference to Lindor, yet the word last offseason was that he would be willing to make that move for the "perfect situation." With the right offer, the Mets could perhaps be that team.

Just think of a Correa-Lindor partnership on the left side of the infield. In addition to two of Puerto Rico's finest, they have six All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves and 339 home runs between them. They're also just 28 and 29 years old.

The Mets could otherwise kick the tires on All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds, who wants out of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Especially if they were to put No. 1-ranked catching prospect Francisco Álvarez on the table, the Mets could meet Pittsburgh's reported "[Juan] Soto-type" asking price.

Heck with it. Let's throw another superstar-caliber hitter out there: Rafael Devers.

The Boston Red Sox want to extend the slugging third baseman, but the frankly insulting offer they made Xander Bogaerts before he left for San Diego bodes ill for extension talks that haven't been going well to begin with.

Should the writing on the wall that Devers isn't going to stay with Boston beyond his walk year in 2023 get even easier to read, the Mets would be an ideal trading partner if the Red Sox decide it's time to go the Mookie Betts route. If not Álvarez, the Mets could dangle well-regarded (and, notably, MLB-ready) third base prospect Brett Baty.

If Correa and Reynolds are far-fetched ideas, then Devers is surely a farther-fetched one. Yet it doesn't seem like a reach to label the odds of one of these things happening as "non-zero." And, well, can anyone really blame us for thinking so big?

Cohen and the Mets clearly have the resources to make big things happen. And with him and team so firmly in the mood to make such things happen, it would be a disappointment if they stopped before absolutely nothing was left to chance.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The New York Mets continue to spend this winter, signing Japanese pitcher Koudai Senga to a five-year, $75 million contract, per SNY's Andy Martino.

The Mets now have a 2023 luxury-tax payroll around $350 million, per Tim Healey of Newsday. The team is subject to the competitive balance tax after exceeding the $233 million threshold for next season.

New York's rotation for the 2023 campaign is headlined by reigning Cy Young winner Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, but Senga joins a talented group that also includes Carlos Carrasco and José Quintana.

Senga, Verlander and Quintana are all newcomers to Flushing. Verlander agreed to a two-year, $86.7 million deal with the Mets this winter, and Quintana agreed to a two-year, $26 million contract.

The Mets have the highest 2023 payroll in baseball, per Spotrac. The New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres round out the top-five highest payrolls for next season.

Senga, who turns 30 next month, spent the last 11 seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. During the 2022 season, he went 11-6 with a 1.94 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 144 innings across 22 games.

After losing ace Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers in free agency, the Mets made starting pitching a priority in an attempt to replace the two-time Cy Young winner. Of course, the talent deGrom holds is irreplaceable, but the Mets have done a great job of filling out their rotation for 2023.

At this point, it seems the Mets could care less about having to pay the luxury tax, and they could continue adding top talent this winter as they aim to win their first World Series title since 1986.

The Mets finished the 2022 campaign with a 101-61 record—their first 100-win season since 1988. However, they fell to the San Diego Padres in the wild card.

The New York Mets re-signed outfielder Brandon Nimmo to an eight-year, $162 million deal on Thursday, and the team's 2023 payroll now exceeds $300 million, per Tim Healey of Newsday.

New York's 2023 payroll will be the highest in baseball history, Healey added. It projects to be around $325 million, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

However, Sherman notes that the Mets "are going to do more" in free agency, so that figure could rise in the coming weeks and months.

In addition to inking Nimmo, the Mets also signed reliever David Robertson to a one-year, $10 million deal on Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deals for Nimmo and Robertson are only the latest that Mets management has handed out this winter after losing ace Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers in free agency.

Earlier this week, the club signed reigning Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86.7 million deal. Star closer Edwin Díaz also put pen to paper on a five-year, $102 million deal, and José Quintana agreed to a two-year, $26 million contract.

The highest earners on the Mets' payroll in 2023 are Scherzer and Verlander, who will both receive $43.3 million next season, per Spotrac. Shortstop Francisco Lindor will earn $34.1 million in 2023, and outfielder Starling Marte will earn $20.8 million.

The 2023 luxury tax threshold is $233 million, and any team that exceeds that amount will need to pay the competitive balance tax. Considering the Mets have blown past that price point, they'll be subject to the tax.

Last season, six teams paid the luxury tax. The Mets were one of them, and considering they fell to the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series, it should really come as no surprise that the team's payroll will rise in 2023.

It appears the Mets aren't too worried about having to pay the tax as they're pursuing their first World Series title since 1986, and signing elite players to high-cost deals should allow them to do that.

Brandon Nimmo is returning to the New York Mets after the two sides agreed to an eight-year, $162 million contract on Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Nimmo is entering his age-30 season. He's played seven MLB seasons, all of them with the Mets. Last year, he hit .274 (.800 OPS) with 16 home runs, 64 RBI, a team-high 102 runs and a league-high seven triples.

For his career, he has hit .269 (.827 OPS) with 63 home runs and 213 RBI.

Hand and hamstring injuries cut his 2021 season to just 92 games. A bulging disc in his neck led to just 69 games in 2019. A hamstring injury and a partially collapsed lung in 2017 kept him sidelined as well.

Nimmo has hit well when playing full seasons, though. He had an .886 OPS in 2018 (140 games) alongside 17 homers and 47 RBI. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign (55 of 60 games), he posted a career-best .888 OPS.

He ended up third on the Mets this season in WAR (wins above replacement) among position players, per Baseball-Reference. His efforts led to New York posting a 101-61 record and earning its first playoff appearance since 2016.

Nimmo will be staying in Queens in hopes of helping lead the Mets to greater playoff heights.

They have a solid offensive core with Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Nimmo and others in the lineup. The team's pitching depth is in question behind Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, but it does return ace closer Edwin Díaz.

Ultimately, keeping Nimmo is a huge win for the Mets.

Bryce Harper and Trea Turner were teammates on the Washington Nationals from 2015 to 2018. They'll likely be together for a whole lot longer in Philadelphia, with Harper having nine more years on his contract and Turner signing an 11-year, $300 million pact with the Phils this week.

And it was, at least in part, a selling point for Turner.

"We pictured playing with Bryce and [Kyle] Schwarber and a lot of those guys on the team now," Turner said Thursday during his introductory press conference. "It just seemed like a lot of things added up and pointed us in this direction."

Turner and Schwarber were briefly teammates with the Nationals in 2021, before both were dealt ahead of the trade deadline.

With the trio of Harper, Turner and Schwarber headlining the offense, the Phillies should have one of the most formidable lineups in baseball next season, especially once Harper returns from Tommy John surgery.

The Boston Red Sox have a huge hole to fill after losing star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres. Fortunately, the team can pivot by pursuing one of the best free agents remaining on the market.

Carlos Correa, who spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins after playing the first seven years of his major-league career with the Houston Astros, would be a more-than-suitable replacement for Bogaerts in Boston's infield. He also has a strong relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was Houston's bench coach during its World Series championship run in 2017.

The only way I’m okay with letting Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency if I’m the Red Sox is if I give Rafael Devers a blank check to sign and bring in Carlos Correa.

Make it happen. pic.twitter.com/rfm729PQsN

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 8, 2022

You have to think the Red Sox will pivot to Carlos Correa, who is extremely close with Alex Cora. https://t.co/Cz5cXCWW2x

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 8, 2022

As one of the more popular names in this year's free-agent class, Correa won't have a shortage of suitors. The Red Sox will face a ton of competition for the 28-year-old, and the team's recent spending habits indicate it's not looking to break the bank.

Bogaerts left for San Diego for a reported $280 million deal over 11 years. The four-time All-Star was considered the face of the franchise, but Boston deemed him too expensive and let him walk. Correa, who is younger and a better defender than Bogaerts, will likely command a similar price or higher.

If the Red Sox are looking for a cheaper option, they could turn to Atlanta Braves free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in which he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and first Gold Glove Award. Boston could look to offer him a short-term deal with a high average annual value in order to address other holes on its roster.

After shoring up their bullpen by signing closer Kenley Jansen on Wednesday, the Red Sox still need to add a reliable starting pitcher to its rotation. The team could look to bring back veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who is a free agent after spending the last four-plus years in Boston, but there are more attractive options on the open market.

Carlos Rodón is the best pitcher available and can be the ace of Boston's staff, but the question remains as to how much the team is willing to spend. Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt are both dependable starters and would be strong additions to any rotation. Veterans like Corey Kluber and Noah Syndergaard would be cheaper, but riskier, players to target.

The Red Sox have finished last in the AL East twice in the last three years, so this offseason will be crucial to bucking that trend. Boston's front office would be wise to loosen the reins on spending in order to land a big-name player this year. If it doesn't, it runs the risk of further disappointing an already restless fan base.

The New York Mets reportedly remain interested in signing Japanese pitcher Koudai Senga despite landing José Quintana in free agency.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Mets are still involved in the bidding for the prized right-hander.

Senga, 29, has been attempting to make the leap to the majors for years and is finally able to exercise his international free agent rights following the conclusion of the 2022 Japanese season. He's coming off a stellar campaign that saw him post a 11-6 and 1.94 ERA while striking out 156 strikeouts in 144 innings.

Agent Joel Wolfe said Senga has already received contract offers of five and six years from teams. Senga's main priority in picking his MLB fit will be teams that want to win now, which could make the Mets a favorite.

The Mets are almost certain to have baseball's largest payroll in 2023, with the Quintana contract taking them to around $298 million in Competitive Balance Tax payroll, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Signing Senga would take them well over the $300 million mark.

Mets owner Steve Cohen has consistently maintained he will spend whatever is necessary to bring the Mets their first World Series since 1986. Stars Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Francisco Lindor are set to make $120.7 million in salary by themselves next season, which is more than the total payroll of all but 11 other teams.

If Cohen is willing to spend this much on a winner, adding Senga is arguably a must to ensure the strongest rotation possible. Verlander and Scherzer will open the 2023 season at a combined 78 years of age, and both have had injury issues of late. There's no guarantee they'll be available all season, so adding another power pitcher like Senga will help fortify the roster in case of injury.