The Mets are quietly emerging as the team to watch for one of this offseason’s best free-agents.
While the Blue Jays once appeared to be the frontrunner, their heavy winter spending may have changed things. With roster holes in the outfield and fewer financial constraints, the Mets now look like the favorite, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
“At one point, the Blue Jays looked like the best candidate to give Kyle Tucker a long term deal,” Nicholson-Smith said in a clip shared on X/Twitter. “Now I would say that’s the Mets. Becasue if you look at the Mets roster, they have Tyrone Taylor starting on one outfield spot on their projection. They have Carson Benge starting on one of their other outfield spots.”
Nicholson-Smith views the Mets as the team to watch because of how the market around them is taking shape, especially when it comes to the Blue Jays.
While Tucker and Bo Bichette remain targets in Toronto, the financial realities could shift the balance in the Mets’ favor.
The Blue Jays have already spent about $350 million this winter after an aggressive free-agent spree, Nicholson-Smith pointed out.
That money was spent on free agent Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million), third baseman Kazuma Okamoto out of Japan (four years, $60 million), former Mets reliever Tyler Rogers (three years, $37 million), starter Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million) and starter Shane Bieber, who opted in for another year at $16 million.
That opens the door for the Mets, who have more financial flexibility and a clear roster need in the outfield. Currently, Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto are the only outfielders on the Mets’ depth chart — their No. 2 prospect, Carson Benge, could emerge as another (MLB Pipeline).