Top Free Agent Bargains for Mets

Under Steve Cohen’s ownership, the Mets have profiled as big-name hunters in free agency. From luring Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to New York in consecutive offseasons to agreeing to terms with Carlos Correa before concerns about his ankle nixed the deal, the organization has put a premium on supplementing its roster with star talent. That narrative isn’t subject to change this winter either with an all-out pursuit forming around Juan Soto, but there’s plenty of work to be done in the subsequent tiers of free agency as well.

With that being said, in honor of Black Friday, let’s take a look at four players on the open market who represent a bargain for the Mets.

Walker Buehler, SP

Very much in the mold of Luis Severino, Walker Buehler is the type of low-risk, high-reward acquisition that David Stearns capitalized on in his first year as New York’s president of baseball operations.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022 and missing the entirety of the 2023 campaign, Buehler returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season and struggled to the tune of a 5.38 ERA across 16 starts. Despite his shortcomings, which were accentuated by right hip inflammation that caused him to miss two months, he found himself as a key member of the postseason rotation due to a bevy of injuries for other arms on the team’s roster.

Known as a big-game pitcher, Buehler rose to the occasion once again in October by posting a 3.60 ERA over 15 innings with 13 strikeouts, which included retiring New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo for the final out of the World Series.

While durability is undoubtedly a concern with Buehler, that risk is subsided by the fact that he’s likely to garner a short-term pact. MLB Trade Rumors projects he will receive $15 million over one year while The Athletic projects him at two years, $32 million. Buehler’s velocity in 2024 was in line with where it sat pre-surgery, and while both his strikeout and walk rates trended in the wrong direction, he did a good job of keeping the ball on the ground and limiting hard contact.

The Mets need at least two, if not three, starters this offseason, and perhaps they could target Buehler in hopes that he regains his All-Star form and fills important innings for the club.

Carlos Santana, 1B

While it’s hard to imagine anyone but Pete Alonso manning first base for the Mets, there’s a distinct possibility that he could land elsewhere in the coming months.

As a result, New York may have to scour the market for other options to fill its hole at the position. Mark Vientos could shift over there should the team find a viable solution at third base, but it feels more likely at this point in time that he’ll remain at the hot corner for the time being.

With other pressing needs that may take precedent, the Mets may prefer a cost-conscious player to plug into their lineup, which is where Carlos Santana enters the picture.

He’ll be 39-years-old entering 2025, but Santana has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s coming off of a season with the Minnesota Twins where he slashed .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs, 71 RBIs, a 114 wRC+ and 3.0 fWAR over 150 contests all while winning the first Gold Glove of his career.

A former teammate of Francisco Lindor’s in Cleveland, Santana represents the ideal stop gap at first on a one-year deal who is a perfect blend of power, plate discipline and defensive ability.

Joc Pederson, OF/DH

In a world where New York does miss out on Soto, Joc Pederson wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.

Projected at two years and $24 million by MLB Trade Rumors and one-year, $16 million by The Athletic, Pederson presents immense value. After a two-year stint with the San Francisco Giants, during which he mashed 38 homers with a .821 OPS, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024 and slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs, a 151 wRC+ and 3.0 fWAR.

The issue with Pederson is the fact that he’d be a platoon player given his .630 career OPS against southpaws while providing next to nothing defensively, likely resigning him to designated hitter duties.

It’s worth taking the good with the bad in his case, however, and the Mets are a fit with their need for more left-handed thump.

Andrew Kittredge, RP

Stearns doesn’t feel particularly eager to shell out significant money to any free-agent relievers, but New York still has to fill some of its vacancies with proven arms.

Andrew Kittredge underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2022 while with the Tampa Bay Rays, though he returned before the conclusion of the 2023 campaign and was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason. He enjoyed a fantastic 2024 campaign, recording a 2.80 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings to go with a 3.64 xFIP.

Since 2020, Kittredge is responsible for a 2.47 ERA, 3.60 FIP and 166 ERA+ across 170 appearances and 182 frames. The 34-year-old generated a 38.9% chase rate this past year, which landed in the 100th percentile per Baseball Savant, and was efficient in producing ground balls while walking only 2.55 batters per nine.

Estimated to receive a two-year, $14 million contract by MLB Trade Rumors, Kittredge could slot into a late-inning role for the Mets as they look to make another playoff push.

 

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