New York Mets MLBTradeRumors.com Offseason Predictions

The New York Mets quest back to the World Series for 2016 began Saturday with free agency opening. How do the people at MLBTradeRumors.com think they will do?

MLB Free Agency officially started Saturday, as the window for teams to negotiate with their own free agents before hitting the market has passed. That means it is time for agents and teams to start working the phones and get some deals done. This is a big time of year for MLB, as teams will begin shaping their teams for the 2016 season.

By now we have seen a ton of different free agent lists from every site out there predicting where and how much players will sign for. Over at one of the inside scoop sites, MLBTradeRumors.com, they have released their list of the top 50 free agents and where they will be going.

More from New York Mets

For the New York Mets, this list may have some fans up in arms, while others will be happy. For starters, the players that they will be losing. According to these predictions, the Mets will not be retaining any of the bigger named free agents they have. Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy and Tyler Clippard are all projected to leave, and for the prices there probably won’t be too many Mets fans upset to see them go.

Cespedes has shot up the rankings with the performance he put on for the Mets after the trade deadline, literally carrying them to an NL East title and playoff berth. But, they are projecting the Los Angeles Angels to sweep in and take him away with a deal of six-years, $144 million. That is probably a little too rich for the Mets, and a signing the Angels will be more than willing to sign. They have struggled getting consistent production outside of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun, so Cespedes will fit right in the middle of their lineup.

He will also fill their gaping hole in left field. The Angels could not find any production for that position, using numerous different players and adding even more at the trade deadline. None worked out, but Cespedes will slide right in there and give them the production they are missing.

Next up is Murphy, who received a qualifying offer from the Mets. He will more than likely decline the $15.8 million offer and hit the free agent market, fetching the Mets a first round pick in return. In a somewhat surprising move, MLBTradeRumors is predicting that Murphy will follow his teammate for the last months of the season in Cespedes to the Angels.

While Murphy will not win any Gold Gloves, he will give the Angels some versatility in the field. He can help fill in at third base if David Freese leaves, or can start at second base as an upgrade over Johnny Giavotella. He would give the Angels another consistent bat and lengthen their lineup that was very top heavy.

More from New York Mets

Clippard was another player the Mets acquired at the trade deadline, and one they will probably let walk. His effectiveness waned after an injury, and was a big reason for the Mets’ bullpen woes in the postseason. They are projecting him to go to the Atlanta Braves for three years and $18 million. This is one of the more head scratching landing spots, as the Braves are in a clear rebuilding mode, and adding a veteran such as Clippard with stats heading in the wrong direction seems like a weird move to make.

With all those players moving on, the Mets will need to fill those holes. MLBTradeRumors.com has them doing exactly that. The highest rated player they have the Mets signing is shortstop Ian Desmond, formerly of the NL East rival Washington Nationals. They project him to sign for five years and $80 million, which might make some Mets fans squeamish, but could be a steal. This is a player some people thought the Mets should acquire in a trade for Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler and would demand a contract in the $120 million range. Getting him without moving one of their young power arms and for $16 million seems like a great deal.

The other player they have the Mets signing is Dexter Fowler, formerly of the Cubs. The predicted contract of four-years, $60 million is a far one, but the question is, does Fowler fit with the Mets? It would be a tough sell to move Curtis Granderson out of the leadoff spot after the work he did this season. It is tough to see where Fowler would fit into the Mets lineup otherwise, as he and Granderson are very similar players. They get the job done at the plate, but there is some questions about their defense.

Next: What was the biggest trade made by the Mets in last 20 years?

Some other players they believe the Mets will be in on are second baseman Howie Kendrick, outfielder Gerardo Parra and reliever Darren O’Day. Kendrick would bring the same consistency at the plate as Murphy, just with a far superior glove and lower price tag. Parra would immediately improve the Mets bench, as he could backup every outfield spot and platoon in centerfield with Lagares. O’Day would be a huge addition to a Mets bullpen that struggled to form a bridge to Jeurys Familia.

The MLB Hot Stove is one of the more entertaining things in sports, and we are heading right into it. This is an exciting time for baseball fans to see where some of their favorite players will end up. For a team like the Mets, this is the start of them trying to improve their roster to not only get back to the World Series, but win it this time.

Home/New York Mets