Mets Set to Sign Star Slugger on Bargain Deal? New York’s Lowkey Moves Highlight Cautious Off-Season

If the off-season market was Wall Street, the current DH market would be the one with the best dividends to offer. It’s surprising how the hitting market has remained underappreciated this year, but perhaps for a team like the New York Mets, this is a unique opportunity! While the Metsies have improved their pitching staff, their hitting remains woeful, but now here’s a chance to work on that. That too without much cost attached to it. Oh, what a deal! But are the Mets willing to take a chance?

With stars like J.D. Martinez up for grabs, a little movement by the Queens Side could prove a game-changer for them. 2024 was deemed to be a transition year for them, but is there a better story than a team excelling right when nobody expected them to? 

Opportunity knocking at the doors of the New York Mets

New York Post’s Jon Heyman had suggested to the Mets owner that they should get a hitting to support Pete Alonso. While that is the need of the hour, one still had some doubts because of the absurdly high payroll of the Metsies. But then, there’s evidence that they could get an elite hitter at a bargain price, so why not pursue him? 

JD Martinez is coming off a ridiculous age-35 season with the LA Dodgers. The slugger slashed  .271/.321/.572 and hit 33 Home runs with an RBI of 103! There are only a few players who can do that and even fewer at the age of 35! But what is eyepopping is that the Dodgers got all of that production for a meager salary of $10 million. 

Now Martinez is available in the market and so is Jorge Soler, the man who hit 35 home runs last season. The market is currently flush with hitters that could help the Mets build a strong lineup around Alonso and maybe even convince him to stay. Especially if the Martinez deal remains the same size as the one he had with the Mets. Wouldn’t that be an interesting situation? 

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So why haven’t the Mets done it yet? Well! There may be a lot of reasons for their reluctance. 

Past mistakes coming back to bite the Metsies 

According to Spotrac, the estimated payroll of the Mets in 2024 is over $300 million. Nearly $50 million of them are being paid to Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and James McCann. Imagine if that type of weight wasn’t attached to the Mets’ payroll. Things would have been much different. But then if cows had wings, they’d be birds. Inevitably, the Mets have to bear the weight. 

Perhaps that’s why a hitting signing hasn’t yet been done. The Orange and Blue squad needs to first find some space in their payroll. With a 110% taxation to be levied on them, things are pretty dire for the Kings of the Queens.

Read more: New York Mets’ Off-Season Over? Queens’ DH Weakness Persists Amidst Bullpen Additions