The New York Mets took a step back after losing the 2015 World Series. Injuries to key players last season kept the team from matching its success from the year before and New York only got as far as losing to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card Game.
That loss capped a season in which the Mets went 87-75 and paid $1.8 million per win. That isn't bad considering total payroll was at $156.6 million and well below MLB's luxury tax threshold, but injuries clearly were a problem as over $39.8 million was on the disabled list at season's end. Another $15 million was in retained salary.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson is hoping that 2017 brings back more of what made 2015 memorable for the fans. Save for re-signing outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a new contract worth $110 million over four years, New York made minimal moves in the offseason and started the season with its strong core intact. Key arms are healthy, the lineup looks competitive and it seems only another injury plagued year could be what derails this Mets team.
This team has what it takes to win the World Series and with the competition in the National League stiff this season, count on the New York Mets to not take the foot off of the gas pedal until that championship trophy is theirs.
Greatest Addition: None
You're reading that correctly, folks. The Mets' offseason was so quiet that no names were added to the roster that were not there in 2016. Alderson clearly knew that the roster was strong enough to compete as it was and focused all energy on giving Cespedes a long-term contract and retaining homegrown talent on team-friendly deals.
It was a smart move on his end and Mets fans can look forward to team chemistry staying strong in 2017.
Greatest Loss: Bartolo Colon
Colon has become something of a folk hero in baseball and he exemplified that label in three years with the Mets. The man was and still is out of shape and, now just over a month away from his 44th birthday, looks more like someone who would be watching a game from the stands rather than playing in it.
But that didn't stop the Mets from giving the veteran righty a two-year, $20 million contract prior to the 2014 season and a one-year, $7.25 million contract for 2016. Colon made the most of the opportunities and went 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.22 WHIP during his three years in Flushing. His Mets tenure also saw him slug his first career home run at 42 years old.
Mets fans would have loved for the ageless wonder to stick around for another year, but even Alderson knew that the team needed to stay young in the pitching rotation with righty Zack Wheeler set to return from Tommy John surgery. Colon was allowed to become a free agent and wound up signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Mets' division rival Atlanta Braves.
It's obvious that Colon cannot pitch forever. It's just the reality of the matter and the Mets opted to not take the risk that 2017 would be the year that Colon's skills started declining. It wasn't worth it to keep him around, but he will indeed be missed.
Greatest Asset: Noah Syndergaard
The Mets' pitching staff as a whole is a fantastic asset, with all of the current starters under the age of 30 and only earning a combined $11.1 million, but Syndergaard is a special type of ace. Nicknamed "Thor," he was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 as part of the R.A. Dickey trade and is the unquestioned alpha dog of the starting rotation.
Syndergaard stands 6-foot-6, 242 pounds and is an imposing presence on the mound. He is only 24 years old and has gone an astounding 24-16 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 57 career starts since debuting in 2015. He has struck out 404 hitters in 352.2 innings. He is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across three starts this year and is showing zero signs of slowing down.
The big righty is also an asset in that, according to Spotrac, he is only earning $605,500 this season. He will have made just over $1.5 million in his major league career at the end of 2017, which means that the Mets have paid just $64,638 for each of his wins. That's an incredible bargain!
Syndergaard will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next offseason and though Alderson may want to play conservatively when it comes to his young staff, it would behoove him to try and extend Syndergaard now and at least buy out his arbitration years. Pitchers like him don't come along every year and if the Mets want to remain competitive in the National League Eastern Division in the foreseeable future, Syndergaard needs to be rewarded for what he has done in his young career.
Based on the numbers, Mets management will not regret such a decision.
Greatest Liability: David Wright
David Wright used to be great. Fans spoke of how he would lead the Mets to multiple World Series titles and be inducted into the Hall of Fame after his retirement. In 2007, he batted .325 with 30 home runs and 107 RBI with 34 stolen bases en route to finishing fourth in NL MVP voting.
Those days are long gone. It wasn't long after that season when Wright was bitten by the injury bug and nothing has been the same since. He has played in more than 140 games just four times since 2007 and has dealt with a number of injuries. He suffered a concussion in 2009. In 2011, he suffered a stress fracture in his lower back. Wright also dealt with hamstring injuries in 2014 and 2015 and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in the latter season.
Wright then underwent surgery for a herniated disc in his neck last season and is currently on the disabled list with a shoulder impingement. He has played in only 75 games over the last two years and is batting just .260 with 12 home runs and 31 RBI in that time.
The worst part is that Wright signed a seven-year, $138 million extension with the Mets following the 2012 season and he is earning $20 million in 2017. He has $67 million in guaranteed money remaining on his deal, including this season.
Wright is still relatively young at 34 years old but the sad truth is that the Mets need to move on from their beloved captain. He can no longer be trusted to stay healthy and it is in both parties' best interest to come to some sort of buyout resolution. Mike Puma of The New York Post reported a week ago that Wright had only just started soft tossing again and there is no concrete timetable for his return.
Few Mets fans may want to admit it but at this stage of the game, accepting the end of the Wright Era is probably what's best as the team looks to get back to the World Series.
Final Thoughts
It may not happen this year, but the New York Mets are more than capable of winning the World Series with the team as it is now. The NL East is competitive and it is essential that New York stay healthy in order to recapture the magic of 2015. Given how well former ace Matt Harvey has looked after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last year, the Mets are certainly headed in the right direction.
But Harvey can't do it alone. Jacob deGrom must also stay off the disabled list after undergoing minor elbow surgery last year. Steven Matz must find a way to stay healthy in general. In the lineup, consistency will be key following the Mets ranking just 26th in runs scored last year compared to third in pitching.
There is a good chance that this team could make the playoffs this year and then go on a surprise run that leads them back to the Fall Classic there. At that point, it would be hard to count them out regardless of which team they faced.
This New York Mets team is a legitimate contender and though things may be up and down to start the season, it's too early to write them off entirely.
