Top free-agent starter Trevor Bauer announced he's joining the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday after agreeing to a three-year, $102 million deal. Bauer, a 30-year-old right-hander, won the NL Cy Young last season after going 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA (276 ERA+), 0.795 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings.
Prior to the official announcement, the New York Mets were determined to be one of the final teams in Bauer's free agency consideration. Mets fans had a lot to say after losing out on Bauer.
Bauer would have joined two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard -- once he is cleared to return from his March 2020 Tommy John surgery -- in Queens. Instead, Bauer will join three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and former AL Cy Young winner David Price in L.A.
It's certainly a miss for the Mets, who were looking to make a big splash with a top free-agent signing this offseason but ultimately struck out on signing center fielder George Springer, catcher J.T. Realmuto and now Bauer. However, the club will still figure to be a contender in 2021 and could pose a threat to the reigning division champion Atlanta Braves. Under new owner Steve Cohen, the New York ballclub is headed in the right direction after finishing the abbreviated 2020 season 26-34 and tied for last place in the National League East.
It should be noted that while the Mets have had a very busy and productive offseason -- trading for Francisco Lindor and Carrasco, keeping Stroman on qualifying offer, signing reliever Trevor May, signing catcher James McCann -- the club's offseason hasn't been one without turmoil. In November, Mets second baseman Robinson Cano was suspended for the 2021 MLB season after his second positive PED test.
More disturbing, though, were the unsolicited sexually explicit images Mets general manager Jared Porter sent to a female reporter. Porter sent the texts while he was employed by the Chicago Cubs as their director of pro scouting in 2016. An explicit image was the final message in a string of 62 consecutive unanswered texts. The Mets fired Porter hours after acknowledging ESPN's report. New York announced that Zack Scott would be promoted to acting GM following Porters' firing.
There's less than three weeks until spring training officially begins, so we have decided to review two of the biggest remaining issues that the Mets should try to address after Bauer's decision to join the Dodgers.
Rotation help
Although Bauer is off the market, that doesn't mean that the Mets should stop all efforts of pursuing another starter. There are still other high-quality arms available, including CBS Sports' 18th-best free agent, lefty James Paxton, No. 27 right-hander Jake Odorizzi and No. 28 right-hander Taijuan Walker.
Odorizzi, who turns 31 in March, has proved he has the potential to be an effective mid-rotation starter, with the help of his fastball and splitter. In 2020, he battled injuries throughout the season and made just four starts, allowing 10 earned runs in 13 2/3 regular-season innings. Odorizzi started in Game 2 of the Twins' ALDS vs. the Yankees and threw five innings with five hits, two earned runs and five strikeouts.
Paxton, 32, finished the 2020 season on the injured list with forearm soreness after making just five starts. But, in December, the lefty threw for 20 MLB teams in a showcase where he reached 94 mph, so he appears to be fully recovered. Paxton had a 3.82 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 186:55 K:BB over 150 2/3 innings over 29 starts for the Yankees in 2019.
Walker, 28, made his return from 2018 Tommy John surgery last year to start in 11 games for the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. He averaged five innings per appearance and recorded a 2.70 ERA and a 2.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio during the abbreviated 2020 campaign. His fastball reached 93.3 mph and he struck out batters 23 percent of the time last year. After joining the Jays via trade, he posted a 1.37 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 25:11 K:BB over 26 1/3 innings. Like Paxton and Odorizzi, Walker could slot in nicely as the No. 3 or 4 starter.
Sign a center fielder
With Springer off the board, the Mets will still need to sort out their outfield situation. They are in need of true center fielder and free agent Jackie Bradley Jr. is still available on the market. Bradley, who turns 31 in April, is the most sensible fit to fill the center field role since Springer signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Here's what we wrote about the longtime Red Sox outfielder:
Bradley Jr. isn't a freaky-deaky athlete in the vein of, say, Kevin Kiermaier or Ramon Laureano. What he is, though, is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. He darts into space as if he's Mike Campbell, and he plays the position with an admirable precision -- to the extent that his routes appear preprogrammed. Bradley Jr. isn't a zero at the plate, either. The Red Sox allowed him to face more lefties the past two years, and he put up good numbers against them in 2020. (His next team will probably relegate him back to platoon status.) He's good for double-digit homers and an OPS over .760 against righties. That'll play just fine with his glove.
The situation for the Mets' 2021 outfield will likely look something like: Dominic Smith in left, Brandon Nimmo in center and Michael Conforto manning right field. Nimmo could also play right and/or left. The Mets also signed 32-year-old Jose Martinez to a minor-league contract, and he could play a role in the outfield if he makes the MLB roster, or he could fill in as bench player/designated hitter if the universal DH comes to the NL next year.
If the Mets were to go out and get Bradley, he would take over in center. That would mean either Nimmo goes the bench or a potential DH role or Nimmo moves to left and Smith slots into the DH role, or even platoon at first base with Pete Alonso. Nothing is fully determined on whether there will be a universal DH in 2021 (still), so the aforementioned plans could just be to no purpose.
Bradley is reportedly asking for a multi-year deal, and the Mets have remained connected to the outfielder this winter. Now might be their best shot to add a Gold Glove winner to center field.
